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
- Shippers, Railroads Ask STB to Deny Latest UP-NS Merger Application - Northern Ag Network
- Freight railroads lose challenge to crew size rule - The Hill
- Opinion: The high-speed railroad never built -- 120 years ago - CT Mirror
- Webcast panel explores what's next for UP-NS merger - Progressive Railroading
- Commuter railroads scramble to meet 24% jump in liability insurance coverage requirements - Smart Cities Dive
- Whitewater Valley Railroad Museum suffers catastrophic flood damage — continuing coverage - trains.com
- HEADS UP: Railroad repairs close McRae Street in Wilmington this week - WECT | TV6
- How long can Illinois trains block traffic at a railroad crossing? What to know - Belleville News-Democrat
- Mon Valley Railroad Historical Society to host model railroad open house in Morgantown - WV News
- TRAFFIC: Road closure set for State Route 13, CSX railroad crossing in Pulaski - WSYR
- SH 87 railroad crossing in Bleakwood to close Tuesday, Wednesday - 12newsnow.com
- US railroad Union Pacific turned charges meant to cover fuel costs from Iran war into profit - Reuters
- New funds for Alburgh rail bridge could boost future Amtrak link to Montreal - VTDigger
- Railroad work closes 2 C.R. intersections - thegazette.com
- Catskill Mountain Railroad presents Superhero Adventure Train on Aug. 22 - Daily Freeman
