The railway was intended to facilitate coal transportation and provide a direct route over the Appalachian Mountains.
The railway was formed in 1887 with the goal of building a rail line from Augusta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee.
Approximately 14 miles of rail were laid, and additional grading was completed before work was suspended due to the financial collapse of the Georgia Construction and Investment Co., which had the contract for the entire project.
[3] The railway was intended to bring coal from Tennessee to South Carolina and provide a direct route over the mountains.
Despite efforts to revive the railway, including the formation of the Greenville and Knoxville Railroad in 1907, the line was fully abandoned by 1899.