Alton & Southern Railway Co.

What Alton & Southern Railway Co. does

Alton & Southern Railway Co. is a switching and terminal railroad headquartered in East St. Louis, Illinois, operating approximately 30 miles of mainline track in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Founded in 1910 by the Aluminum Company of East St. Louis to serve its own industrial complex, the railroad has since evolved through successive ownership consolidations: Missouri Pacific and Chicago & North Western jointly acquired it in 1968, Missouri Pacific merged with Union Pacific in 1982 granting partial control, and Union Pacific gained complete ownership in 1996 after absorbing Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt. A&S operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad while retaining its own board of directors, separate legal identity, and operational autonomy—a structure unusual within the Class I corporate hierarchy.

The company's core asset is Gateway Yard, a major classification facility in the St. Louis region with hump operations that process up to 48 trains originating or terminating per day, hump approximately 2,100 cars, and classify more than 3,500 cars each day. Roughly 30 miles of mainline track link local industrial customers to six Class-1 railroads, four Interstate highways, and Mississippi River ports, enabling coast-to-coast routing through the broader Union Pacific network. A&S serves B2B industrial customers across chemicals, petroleum, metals, manufacturing, consumer goods, and food and beverage verticals, moving products including hazardous materials, ethanol, biodiesel, lumber, pipe, paper, autos, electronics, and packaged food. The company provides intermediate switching services connecting origin facilities to final destinations via the Class I network, supplemented by intermodal combinations with river barge traffic.

A&S generates revenue through tariff-based freight switching and transportation services published in official tariffs (ALS 8002-N and ALS 8002-O), with transaction-fee economics on a per-car basis; specific pricing is delivered through quote requests rather than public disclosure. Go-to-market is sales-led, with customers accessing services via a website rail service request form, a secure shipment-management customer portal, and direct contact through phone and email. The company operates with 11-50 employees, has no public listing or ticker symbol, and has not raised external funding as a subsidiary of Union Pacific.

Name

Alton & Southern Railway Co.

Legal name

Alton & Southern Railway Co.

Website

https://altonsouthern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alton & Southern Railway Co. is a short-line switching railroad operating approximately 30 miles of mainline track and the Gateway Yard hump classification facility in the St. Louis region, connecting local industrial shippers to six Class-1 railroads as a wholly-owned Union Pacific subsidiary since 1996.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Rail Transportation Services

NAICS

Short Line Railroads (482112), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (48821)

SIC

Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013), Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLADACAI

Short Line & Regional Railroads (General Merchandise)

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Transportation (Air, Maritime, Rail, Trucking)/Rail Freight Operators (Class I/Regional/Short Line)

SECONDARYTLADAJAB

Finished Vehicle Rail Transport (Autorack Services)

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Transportation (Air, Maritime, Rail, Trucking)/Automotive Vehicle Logistics & Car Carriers

SECONDARYTLAJAFAF

Rail Terminal Switching, Shunting & Yard Locomotive Services

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Intermodal & Freight Rail Yards / Terminals Operations

SECONDARYTLAJAFAB

Rail Freight Yard Operations (Classification, Hump & Flat Yards)

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Intermodal & Freight Rail Yards / Terminals Operations

Keywords

• Short-line railroad services
• Freight rail transportation
• Railroad switching services
• Classification yard operations
• Industrial rail connections

Headquarters

HQ city

East Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Freight Rail Transportation Services: Alton & Southern Railway generates revenue by providing short-line railroad connections for freight shippers. The company transports various cargo including chemicals, petroleum, metals, manufacturing products, and consumer goods through its track network connecting to Class I railroads.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Alton & Southern Railway is a short-line switching railroad operating approximately 30 miles of mainline track in the St. Louis region, providing freight rail connections between local industrial shippers and the national Class I rail network. The company runs Gateway Yard, a major hump classification facility processing up to 48 trains daily, and offers intermediate switching services to move goods between origin and destination across chemicals, petroleum, metals, manufacturing, and consumer goods industries.

Product overview

Alton & Southern Railway Co. is a short-line railroad providing freight transportation services, operating approximately 30 miles of mainline track in the St. Louis region. The company's core offerings consist of short-line railroad connections to Class I railroads, intermediate switching services, and Gateway Yard operations—a major hump yard processing up to 48 trains daily. As a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, the company provides access to a vast transportation network including connections to four Interstate highways, river ports, and six Class I railroads, enabling coast-to-coast freight shipping for industries including chemicals, petroleum, metals, and manufacturing. The company also facilitates intermodal transportation combining rail with river barge traffic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short-Line Railroad Services Provides safe and reliable short-line railroad connections to Class I railroads, enabling freight transportation across the national rail network from the St. Louis region. The service is designed for industrial shippers and businesses requiring access to the broader national rail network.
• Intermediate Switching Specializes in moving goods through intermediate shipping points, connecting products from origin to final destination with customized solutions for unique shipping needs. The service is for industrial shippers needing flexible routing through intermediate yards.
• Gateway Yard Operations Major hump yard operations handling up to 48 trains daily, with an average of 2,100 cars humped and over 3,500 cars classified each day. The facility serves industrial shippers, Class I railroads, and freight operators requiring high-volume classification and sorting of rail cars.
• Freight Transportation Transports a wide range of goods including lumber, pipe, metals, paper, chemicals, petroleum, autos, electronics, food products, ethanol, biodiesel, and more for various industries. Designed for industrial and commercial shippers across chemicals, petroleum, metals, manufacturing, consumer goods, and food and beverage sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 48 trains daily originate or terminate at Gateway Yard
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Union Pacific RailroadcoreOthersUnion Pacific Railroad is the parent company of Alton & Southern Railway. Alton & Southern operates as a wholly owned subsidiary with its own board of directors, legally separate from Union Pacific but benefiting from access to the vast Union Pacific transportation network. The relationship provides connections to six Class-1 railroads and the broader national rail network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis: TRRA operates the Merchants Bridge and rail switching facilities in the St. Louis area, providing the same core service as A&S—switching and terminal operations for multiple Class I railroads at a critical interchange point. It is the most directly comparable peer given overlapping geography and service model.
• Conrail Shared Assets Organization: Conrail operates switching and terminal operations in key Northeast corridors (Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia/New Jersey) jointly for CSX and Norfolk Southern. Comparable to A&S as a switching/terminal carrier owned and operated by Class I partners.
• Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad: IHB operates switching and terminal services in the Chicago/Gary area, jointly owned by multiple Class I railroads. Directly comparable to A&S as a switching carrier serving industrial customers and interchange traffic in a major Midwest rail hub.
• New York & Greenwood Lake Railway (New York New Jersey Rail LLC): NYNJ operates the last operating segment of the former Erie-Lackawanna waterfront line, providing floatbridge and rail-freight transfer services between New Jersey and Manhattan. Comparable as a switching/terminal operator in a major metropolitan area.
• Belt Railway of Chicago: BRC operates the largest intermediate switching railroad in the United States, jointly owned by multiple Class I carriers and serving the Chicago rail gateway. Comparable to A&S as a terminal switching carrier handling high train volumes at a major Midwest interchange.

Broad incumbents

• Watco Companies: Watco is one of the largest short-line holding companies in North America, operating 40+ short-line railroads and terminal services across the U.S. Comparable as a multi-property short-line/switching platform operator with industrial customer focus.
• CSX Transportation: CSX is one of the major Class I railroads and is among the six Class I carriers that interchange with A&S at St. Louis. Comparable as a Class I partner using A&S switching services for St. Louis area freight.
• Genesee & Wyoming Inc. G&W operates over 100 short-line and regional railroads across North America, Europe, and Australia. Comparable as a diversified short-line operator serving industrial customers with switching and rail transportation services.
• BNSF Railway: BNSF is one of the largest Class I railroads in North America and is among the six Class I carriers that interchange with A&S at St. Louis. Comparable as a Class I partner relying on A&S for St. Louis gateway switching access.
• Norfolk Southern: Norfolk Southern is one of the major Class I railroads and is among the six Class I carriers that interchange with A&S at St. Louis. Comparable as a Class I partner using A&S switching services for St. Louis area freight.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ASRailroad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alton & Southern Railway Co.