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
19 March 2024
- Northwest suburban residents say railroad merger has been major headache with long railroad crossing - WLS-TV
- Railroading's new proving ground: The MxV Rail FAST test track loop - Trains - TRAINS Magazine
- Oregon Rail Heritage Center trying to morph from workshop to museum - Oregon Public Broadcasting
- French Lick Scenic Acquires DMUs - Railfan & Railroad Magazine
- A year after CP/KC merger approved, mayors see train uptick and brace for more - Daily Herald
- Person dies after being hit by Amtrak train in Durham. Second railroad death in days. - Raleigh News & Observer
- Ranking BNSF Vs Peers: Why Berkshire's Bet On Railroads Continues To Pay Off (NYSE:BRK.A) - Seeking Alpha
- One transported after vehicle hits Kanawha County railroad crossing arm - WOWK 13 News
- Transients Along Railroad Prompt Action From Hanford Police, Several Arrests Made - KMPH Fox 26
- Railroad bridge reopens in Lackawanna County - WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
- The EPA Can Reject California Rules for Railroads - RealClearMarkets
- Union Pacific Railroad's first female president honored in Marshall - Marshall News Messenger
- Model railroad club sets open house schedule - Shaw Local News Network
- Buttigieg scolds railroads for not doing more to improve safety since Ohio derailment - The Associated Press
- Check It Out: Building model train sets with Chelsea - WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre