Conrail

in full Consolidated Rail Corp.

U.S. railroad company created by the federal government in 1973 to take over six bankrupt northeastern railroads. Conrail began operations in 1976 with major portions of the Central Railroad Co. of New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna Railway Co., Lehigh & Hudson River Railway Co., Lehigh Valley Railroad Co., Penn Central Transportation Co., and Reading Co. The resulting network carried freight traffic to 15 states, from the Atlantic Ocean to St. Louis, Mo., and from the Ohio River north to Canada. Its passenger traffic was turned over to Amtrak and regional transportation authorities in 1983. Its stock was put up for sale to the public in 1987, and in 1999 most of Conrail's assets were acquired by CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads.

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