The Belton Branch of the Katy Railroad was constructed from a junction with the main line about 3 miles south of Temple, at a community/post office called Miller. Construction began in September 1882 and was completed December 16, 1882. Early timetables showed the branch to be 6.5 miles long. In 1884 the name of the post office at the mainline junction was changed to Echo. The population of Echo in 1890 was seven. The line provided passenger/mixed train service into the 1940s. Mixed train service was still being shown in the MKT public timetable as late as October, 1953. During the 1940’s the name of the main line junction was changed to Smith, the name that survives to the present time in Union Pacific timetables.

The Katy Railroad applied to the ICC to abandon the Belton Branch in 1960. As a result, the Belton Railroad was incorporated April 14, 1960, for the purpose of acquiring and operating the Katy’s Belton branch.

Prior to the construction of Interstate 35, the Belton Railroad served downtown Belton. However, the interstate severed the line resulting in the line terminating near a McDonald’s restaurant and the McCoy lumberyard.

On June 3, 1991, the railroad was purchased by its current owner, the Georgetown Railroad.

The MKT depot in Belton, built in 1899 and still standing, is privately owned.

Of note is the presence of a steel truss bridge over the Leon River. In 1990 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.