As of 2022, it remains in service as an important CSX Transportation line, known as the Fitzgerald Subdivision.

The railroad formally opened in 1890, with 25 miles (40 km) of track from Waycross to Sessoms, Georgia.

[1] Work on an extension of the line to the city of Fitzgerald, Georgia began on August 15, 1900.

[5] At the same time, the company also announced plans to expand beyond Fitzgerald in a northwestern direction.

[2] The new name was chosen to indicate the company's plans to connect Birmingham, Alabama, with the Atlantic Ocean.

[3] Plans for construction the rest of the way to Birmingham were underway, with the company launching surveys of a proposed route.

[2] The original Waycross Air Line Railroad, along with the extension built by the AB&A to Birmingham, serves as CSX's primary route between Florida and the Midwestern United States, and has been upgraded in portions with double track and concrete ties.