Today's Railroads in Michigan...
Railroads in Michigan are almost 200 years old, beginning in 1836 and reaching their peak in trackage about 1916. Since that time, each year has seen abandonments and reduced passenger and freight traffic, all coinciding with the deindustialization of Michigan's major cities and a move of passenger to airlines and automobiles. A majority of Michigan railroad lines have disappeared in the last 100 years.
Today, the railroad operations which are left generally fit into one of these six categories:
- Overhead freight/intermodal traffic from Sarnia to the Chicago area via the Port Huron tunnel and Battle Creek on the CN
- Overhead freight/intermodal traffic from Windsor through the tunnel and on NS trackage rights towards Chicago by the CP
- Automobile and auto parts traffic from the Detroit area to points southeast, south and west on the NS, CSX and CN
- Iron ore taconite transport from the Marquette iron range to docks and all-rail shipments to a few steel mills
- Unit trains of coal, grain and sugar beets to power plants, agri-businesses and sugar processing plants near Bay City
- Amtrak passenger trains to and from Chicago, Detroit, Port Huron and Grand Rapids
- The remainding branch lines throughout the state carry only 1-2 freight trains per day each way mostly on shortline railroads
This website is divided into two sections. Today's Railroads features current railroad operation including links to Michigan's operating railroads. The RRHX Railroad History section features almost 200 years of past railroads, from the establishment of the Erie & Kalamazoo railroad in 1836 to today.
Image info: Canadian National track maintenance crews weld a rail repair at Tappan, near Port Huron. [Dan Meinhard]
Newsfeed from Google: Railroads
News Feed - Railroads
- Two Railroad Crossing Closures Over Next Two Weeks - Edmond, OK (.gov)
- Railroad historian to discuss B&O - Livingston County News
- Railroads, shipper organizations ask regulators to immediately reject UP-NS merger application - trains.com
- Regional Rail acquires Massachusetts Central Railroad in Northeast expansion - Transportation Today
- N Sherman Avenue Closure for Railroad Crossing Replacement - City of Madison, WI
- Man rescues woman stuck on railroad crossing in Hobe Sound - WPBF
- Major Shipper Groups Urge STB to Deny UP-NS Merger, Say Railroads Failed to Clear First Hurdle - American Chemistry Council
- ‘Significant’ water main break closes Main Street at railroad crossing in Newton - KSN-TV
- Pennsylvania advances new funding program, seeks applicants for freight-rail grants - Progressive Railroading
- AAR launches freight rail research consortium - FreightWaves
- Small Casper Railroad's 18-Track Yard Is More Than A Parking Lot For Rail Cars - Cowboy State Daily
- On Track Through the Deep Freeze - Railway Age
- Comment Chicago's busiest rail yard is choking, and CSX lit the fuse - The Loadstar
- Railroad work prompts crossing closure on US-421 in LaPorte County - WSBT
- Stranger races to rescue woman trapped on railroad tracks in Hobe Sound - WPEC
