Belt Line Railroads in Michigan

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"Belt Line" railroads were usually constructed around the outside of a settled city or town for the purchase of reaching new industrial locations or perhaps as a bypass around the busy city-center. The idea in the name is that the railroad is a "belt" around the city.

Almost no belt line railroads actually constituted a complete "belt" around the town. Rather, they made up a component of a belt-like route.Some railroads were identified as a "Belt Line" in their formal name, but never consumated their plan.

We have included belt line railroads, partial belt lines and belt components, as well as railroads calling themselves a belt line in their name.

Bay City area:

• Bay City Belt Line Railroad (MC)
• Hecla Belt Line Railroad (MC)
• Huron & Western (PM)

Crystal Falls area:

• Milwaukee Road (looping south and east around town)

Detroit area:

• Detroit Belt Line (MC)
• Detroit Terminal Railroad (MC, LSMS and GTW)
• Detroit, Monroe and Toledo Railroad (LSMS)
• Union Belt of Detroit (PRR, PM, Wabash)

Flint area:

• Flint Belt Line (PM)
• Grand Trunk Western (mainline reroute)

Grand Rapids area:

x

Iron Mountain-Norway area:

x

Iron River area:

x

Ironwood-Bessemer area:

x

Ishpeming-Negaunee area:

x

Jackson area:

• Jackson Belt Line (MC)

Lansing area:

• Lansing Manufacturers Railroad Co. (MC)
• Lansing Transit Railway Co, (MC)

Menominee area:

x

Muskegon area:

x

Saginaw area:

• Saginaw Belt Line (PM) - west and south of West Saginaw