The Niles & New Lisbon Railroad was completed between its namesake Ohio towns on July 14, 1869. The railroad was constructed to tap rich coal and iron ore deposits along a 35-mile route through Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. That mineral wealth would sustain the rail line for over 100 years and keep the rails shiny with trainloads of coal, iron ore, coke, agricultural products and, until the early 20th century, passengers, mail and express.

From inception, the Erie Railway and successors controlled the small company, ultimately fully absorbing the Niles & New Lisbon into the Erie in 1941. Freight operations continued over the line--the Lisbon Branch as it would come to be called--into the 1970’s. Finally, segments of the line were abandoned with the 1976 formation of Conrail, with all remaining railroad operations discontinued in the early 1980’s. Today, most of the 35-mile route remains intact as a bike path.