South Central Florida Express

the sugar railroad

Founded

1994

Evidence class

publicly verified operating

Place

Clewiston, Hendry County

District

The Glades

Status as of 12 September 2026

Operating; 171 miles of shortline from Sebring to Fort Pierce around the south side of the lake, hauling cane to the Clewiston mill.

Connections

3 edges, 3 distinct neighbours · betweenness 0.026 (rank 53 of 243) · location and lineage only 0.038 (rank 17) · outside share 0.00

Confidence

High · sources: [WSCFE] [USSH] [WHCB] (register)

U.S. Sugar buys the old Atlantic Coast Line lake trackage from the Brandywine Valley Railroad on 17 September 1994 and runs it as South Central Florida Express, described as the largest private agricultural railroad in the country, as reported [WSCFE]. Since 2021 it also runs the Sugar Express steam excursion [WSCFE].

Connections

Location and lineage

• received land or role fromACL Haines City BranchU.S. Sugar buys the surviving Sebring to Lake Harbor segment1994
• grew out ofU.S. Sugar Corporationthe shortline railroad subsidiary1994 to present

Support

• supportedClewiston mill and refineryhauls harvested cane to the mill from around the lake1994 to present