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The Consolidated Rail Corporation, more succinctly known as Conrail, was an American railroad company formed in the mid-1970s following the bankruptcy of its predecessor, the Penn Central. Its principal task during its early years as a government-owned corporation was to repair and aid in the recovery of rail lines in the American Northeast and lower Great Lakes, neglected after their previous owners suffered decreasing revenue between stifling regulation and intensive competition from trucks and aircraft. Much of its early years would be spent shedding unprofitable branch lines and carrying out desperately-needed repairs on major rail arteries. The company would eventually turn a profit in the 1980s and be privatized shortly thereafter. Conrail as an independent entity would last until 1999, when it was split between the CSX Corporation and Norfolk Southern. The company exists to the present day, albeit as a "shared assets organization" managed jointly by CSX and NS to handle freight traffic in and around the ports in the New York City area.
The company is remembered by American railfans for its particular origins, unique power (being the only railroad to order the EMD SD80MAC and having briefly run electrified operations in its early years), blue livery, and "can opener" logo.
External Links:
Wikipedia: Conrail
Conrail Historical Society
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