U.S. railroad company established in 1868 with the consolidation of two smaller lines, the Virginia Central and the Covington and Ohio.
The railroad later acquired several other lines, mainly in the upper South and the Midwest, which together became known as the Chessie System. In 1972 its passenger services were taken over by Amtrak , and in 1980 it merged with Seaboard Coast Line Industries, Inc., to form the CSX Corp.