The "South Shore Line" is not a Michigan railroad but operates close by. It is the last remaining electric interurban railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1901 as the Chicago & Indiana Air Line Railway. The electric-powered line originally connected with other interurban railroads from Ohio and Illinois. The corporate name was changed to the CSS&SB in 1904.
Passenger-commuter operations were taken over by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (*NICTD) in 1990. They had previously subsidized passenger trains on the railroad.
Today, passenger trains are provided by the NICTD, and freight operations are provided by Southshore Freight.
Chicago & Indiana Air Line Railway → Chicago, South Shore & South Bend → Active
Created: 1901 to provide commuter and freight service from South Bend, IN to Chicago, IL.
Operated for 125+ years, continuing
Became: NICTD and South Shore Freight.
Reference: [MRRC]
Image info: Top, a CSS&SB commuter trains arrives at the shops in Michigan City. [Doug Leffler]The railroad experienced bankruptcies in 1933 and 1938. [Wiki].
1967. Purchased by the Chesapeake & Ohio railway.
1977. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) begins subsidizing passenger operations on the South Shore line.
1984. The Venango River Corporation purchased the South Shore form the C&O. Venango declares bankruptcy in 1989.
1990. The Anacostia and Pacific Company acquires the line and the NICTD purchases the passenger assets.
The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:
