The Texas Short Line Railway Company was chartered on February 28, 1901. The company was formed to build and operate a ten mile stretch of railroad from Grand Saline to a connection with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company of Texas near Alba. The railroad primarily served the coal mines near Alba and the salt mine at Grand Saline.  By 1903 small railroad owned one locomotive and seven cars. Despite the traffic provided by the salt works and coal mines, the Texas Short Line struggled. The Texas and Pacific acquired the railroad in 1929, but the Texas Short Line continued to be operated as a separate company through the 1950s.