The International – Great Northern Railroad (I&GN) was a railroad that operated in the U.S. state of Texas. It was created on September 30, 1873, when International Railroad and Houston and Great Northern Railroad merged.
Originally, the I&GN operated 177 miles (285 km) of track from Hearne to Longview, but at its peak it owned 1,106 miles (1,780 km) of track. As the railroad expanded, it reached Rockdale in 1874 and Austin on December 28, 1876. The line extended to San Antonio in 1880 and finally to the US-Mexican border town of Laredo on December 1, 1881.
The I&GN, like other railroads of its time, had many financial troubles and went into receivership on several occasions. Jay Gould acquired control of the I&GN in December, 1880, but was forced to sell it in the early 1920s. Finally, on March 1, 1956, the I&GN was bought by the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company and became a major part of its network.
In the 1960s, many of the redundant out-of-the-way lines were abandoned, including Waco to Marlin and College Station to Navasota.
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