The New York Central Railroad had a very complex corporate history as the company grew though mergers with other companies. The tree below shows the main predecessors to the New York Central.
- New York Central Railroad (1914 – 1968) and predecessors, including
- New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (1869 – 1914)
- Rochester and Syracuse Railroad (1850 – 1853)
- Auburn and Syracuse Railroad (1834 -1850)
- Auburn and Rochester Railroad (1836 – 1850)
- Rochester and Syracuse Direct Railroad (1818 – 1850)
- Buffalo and Rochester Railroad (1850 – 1853)
- Tonawanda Railroad (1832 – 1850)
- Attica and Buffalo Railroad (1836 – 1850)
- Rochester and Syracuse Railroad (1850 – 1853)
- Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (1869 – 1914)
- Buffalo and Erie Railroad (1867 – 1869)
- Buffalo and State Line Railroad (1848 – 1867)
- Erie and Northeast Railroad (1842 – 1867)
- Buffalo and Erie Railroad (1867 – 1869)
- Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley and Pittsburgh Railroad (1873 – 1914)
- Dunkirk, Warren and Pittsburgh Railway (1870 – 1873)
- Warren Pine Grove
- Dunkirk, Warren and Pittsburgh Railway (1870 – 1873)
- New York, Chicago and St. Louis (Nickel Plate) Railroad (1881-1964)
- Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (1832 – 1913)
- Fall Brook Railway (1892 – 1899)
- Corning, Cowanesque, and Antrim (1873 – 1892)
- Blossburg and Corning Railroad (1854 – 1873)
- Tioga Railroad (1840 – 1854)
- Wellsboro and Lawrenceville Railroad (1867 – 1873)
- Blossburg and Corning Railroad (1854 – 1873)
- Geneva and Lyons Railroad (1878 – 1892)
- Syracuse, Geneva and Corning Railway (1875 – 1892)
- Pine Creek Railway (1884 – 1892)
- Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway (1870 – 1884)
- Corning, Cowanesque, and Antrim (1873 – 1892)
- West Shore Railroad (1885 – 1952)
- New York, West Shore, and Buffalo Railroad (1881 – 1885)
- New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (1869 – 1914)