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
25 April 2025
- Mount Vernon Railroad launches service at Indiana port - trains.com
- Union Pacific misses quarterly estimates on weak auto shipments - Reuters
- Rail News - U.S. freight railroads post 4.5% traffic growth in Week 16. For Railroad Career Professionals - Progressive Railroading
- Two Norfolk railroad crossings closing temporarily for repairs - The Virginian-Pilot
- InvestigateTV+: Trains block railroad crossings for hours in some communities - KKTV
- Jury deliberates railroad's bid to have railcar company share cost of $600M East Palestine derailment settlement - WFMJ.com
- Historic Kansas railroad fights for top spot in ‘best scenic train ride’ competition - KSNT 27 News
- Mount Vernon Railroad and Southwest Indiana Creating ‘Mega Modal’ Opportunity - Railway Track and Structures
- After recent inspection, 2 Norfolk railroad crossings to be replaced this week - 13newsnow.com
- South Dakota railroad historian Rick Mills dies - trains.com
- Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Celebrates 50th Anniversary - exploreJefferson
- InvestigateTV+: Trains block railroad crossings for hours in some communities - KWQC
- Mount Vernon Railroad Opens New Opportunities for Growth - Railway Supply
- Model Railroad Open House - WHIZ - Fox 5 / Marquee Broadcasting - WHIZ
- Author to discuss 'Railroads and Railroaders' - standard-journal.com
