Time Line - 2004

Last Year | Next Year

• January 19: Ironville Tower in Toledo, Ohio is closed.  This is the crossing of the Norfolk Southern and the CSX former Toledo Terminal line. The operation is now remoted from the NS Dearborn dispatching center.

• April 23: Amtrak operates the last International train between Chicago and Toronto. Customs delays in Port Huron and freight traffic help contribute to poor on-time performance which leads to declining ridership. The International was partly funded by the State of Michigan. [MF]

• April 24: Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation inaugurate the Blue Water Service between Port Huron and Chicago. This train replaces the partial route of the International. Amtrak President David Gunn is on hand to give speeches from the Amtrak business car Beech Grove. Ceremonies take place in Port Huron, Lapeer, Flint, Durand, East Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Dowagiac and Niles. Full public service begins on April 25th and ridership soars throughout the remaidner of the year. [MF]

• May: CSX removes 2.68 miles of line between milepost CBD 83.28 at Tappan and milepost CBD 85.96 near Port Huron in St. Clair County.  The line formerly served the Ammonia Plant at Wadhams until 2000.  the right-of-way is added to the Wadhams to Avoca bicycle trail. [DMH]

• September: Norfolk Southern announces the sale of its Maumee River swing bridge in Toledo to the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad.  NS has not used the bridge in the last year, using their own bridge (former Conrail) to span the river. W&LE uses the daily bridge to interchange with the CN at Lang Yard and occasionally to interchange with the Ann Arbor. [TB]

• October 27: The former GTW depot at Montrose is moved to a new location, away from the CMGN right-of-way. [AL]

No general entries.

Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression