texas, mississippi, arkansa

During the 96 years the Southern Railway operated, the company acquired 13 roads/routes. Of these there were four that were most significant to the operation of the railway. They were the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway, the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway, the New Orleans and North Eastern Railway, and the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway.

New Orleans stands on the Mississippi river.

Louisville to New Orleans is 705 miles.

It was the use of the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans