Grenada Railroad
The Grenada Railroad LLC (GRYR) is a shortline railroad in the Southern United States. It runs about 230 miles (370 km) from Southaven, Mississippi to Canton, Mississippi on former Illinois Central trackage. Its headquarters are in Grenada, Mississippi. The line carries chemicals, flour, lumber, paper, plastics, and petroleum. It interchanges with Canadian National in Canton and in Memphis, and connects with other major carriers along the route.
History in brief: The route began in the 1860s when the Mississippi Central and the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroads built the line. Illinois Central later acquired the lines in the 1870s. Amtrak operated passenger service on the route until 1995. CN bought Illinois Central in 1998. In 2009 CN spun off the Grenada line, and Grenada Railway, LLC took over. A southern section to Canton was briefly disputed for abandonment in 2011, but service was preserved. In 2015 the North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority bought the line with state support to keep rail service in the region. Iowa Pacific Holdings leased the line and announced upgrades, and in 2018 IRP moved the operation under RailUSA another step. In 2023 Grenada Railroad LLC bought Grenada Railway LLC and its 228 miles of track, and major restoration was completed to restore freight service. A 2024 grant was announced to fund upgrades and expand capacity.
Recent events and future plans: As of 2023–2024 the line is rebuilt to support higher speeds and heavier traffic, with ongoing upgrades planned to further modernize the track. In July 2025 a detoured CN train used the Grenada Railroad due to a derailment on another line, and part of that train derailed near Sardis, Mississippi, briefly affecting the Grenada route.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:55 (CET).