This abandoned railway was started by the Texarkana & Shreveport Railroad in order to connect major rail lines in both Texarkana and Shreveport, LA. Construction started in 1894 in Texarkana and worked wended southward, almost reaching the Arkansas-Louisiana state line when the Texarkana, Shreveport & Natchez Railroad purchased the T&S in 1899. The TS&N continued building the line and completed it to Shreveport. The Texas & Pacific Railroad purchased the line on February 9, 1901.
The line saw both freight and passenger service initially, but as happens with most other railroad lines during the 1950s, traffic levels dwindled, and the northern 42 miles of the line (about 2/3rds of its total length) was up for abandonment in 1966. The southern end of the line was used to serve a refinery in Hosston, LA with access from Shreveport. Once the refinery closed in 1981, the tracks were abandoned soon after.
Today, evidence of the southern portion of the line still exists: some of the grade crossings in northern Shreveport are still there, and the raised grading of the right-of-way can be easily spotted along US 71. A majority of the route is easily spotted in satellite imagery.
Thanks to Mike Palmieri for contributing information about this route.