Central Railroad of Indianapolis
Encyclopedia
Central Railroad of Indianapolis is a Class III
short-line railroad that operates approximately 39 miles (62.8 km) miles of rail line in north central Indiana
.
One leg of the railroad heads northwest from the city of Marion
, passes through the Grant County
communities of Sweetser
and Mier, then crosses into Miami County
at Converse
and terminates at Amboy
. The other leg, which also begins in Marion, passes west-southwest through Herbst
, Swayzee
and Sims
, then through the Howard County
communities of Sycamore
, Greentown
, and finally Kokomo
, where it interchanges with U.S. Rail Corporation's Winamac Southern Rail System
(see: http://www.usrailcorp.com/-i-19.html ).
Central Railroad of Indianapolis is a subsidiary of RailAmerica
, having been acquired in 2000.
CERA was formed during the 1980s when Norfolk Southern leased several lines, including the now mostly-abandoned Tipton-Peru line, to the then-new company. For a time, Norfolk Southern interchanged with CERA via. its Frankfort to Kokomo line. The latter route was subsequently abandoned (railbanked) after the Norfolk Southern Conrail merger allowed Norfolk Southern to move CERA interchange to Marion.
The railroad's main traffic comes from grain and metal products. The CERA hauled around 8,000 carloads in 2008.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
short-line railroad that operates approximately 39 miles (62.8 km) miles of rail line in north central Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
One leg of the railroad heads northwest from the city of Marion
Marion, Indiana
Marion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,948 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Grant County...
, passes through the Grant County
Grant County, Indiana
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 70,061. The county seat is Marion. Important paleontological discoveries dating from the Pliocene epoch have been made at Pipe Creek Sinkhole in Grant County.-Geography:According to the 2010...
communities of Sweetser
Sweetser, Indiana
Sweetser is a town in Franklin, Pleasant and Richland townships, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 906 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Mier, then crosses into Miami County
Miami County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,082 people, 13,716 households, and 9,806 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 15,299 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
at Converse
Converse, Indiana
Converse is a town in Richland Township, Grant County and Jackson Township, Miami County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,148 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Converse is located at ....
and terminates at Amboy
Amboy, Indiana
Amboy is a town in Jackson Township, Miami County, Indiana, United States. The population was 360 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Amboy is located at ....
. The other leg, which also begins in Marion, passes west-southwest through Herbst
Herbst, Indiana
Herbst is an unincorporated town in Franklin Township, Grant County, Indiana....
, Swayzee
Swayzee, Indiana
Swayzee is a town in Sims Township, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 981 at the 2010 census. Pipe Creek Sinkhole, uncovered in 1996 at the Pipe Creek Junior limestone quarry near Swayzee, has been the site of important paleontological discoveries dating from the Pliocene...
and Sims
Sims, Indiana
Sims is an unincorporated town in Sims Township, Grant County, Indiana. In 2000 it had a population of 250.-Geography:Sims is located at near the county's western border. A rail line operated by the Central Railroad Company of Indianapolis passes along the north side of town....
, then through the Howard County
Howard County, Indiana
Howard County is one of 92 counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Howard and Tipton counties. Originally named Richardville County, it was rechristened in 1844 to commemorate General Tilghman Ashurst Howard. As of...
communities of Sycamore
Sycamore, Indiana
Sycamore is an unincorporated town in Jackson Township, Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Greentown
Greentown, Indiana
Greentown is a town in Liberty Township, Howard County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Greentown is located at ....
, and finally Kokomo
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
, where it interchanges with U.S. Rail Corporation's Winamac Southern Rail System
Winamac Southern Railway
The Winamac Southern Railway is a short-line railroad in northern Indiana, United States, operated under lease by the U S Rail Corporation. It owns two lines radiating from Logansport to Kokomo and Bringhurst, and formerly a third to Winamac, all former Pennsylvania Railroad lines acquired from...
(see: http://www.usrailcorp.com/-i-19.html ).
Central Railroad of Indianapolis is a subsidiary of RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
, having been acquired in 2000.
CERA was formed during the 1980s when Norfolk Southern leased several lines, including the now mostly-abandoned Tipton-Peru line, to the then-new company. For a time, Norfolk Southern interchanged with CERA via. its Frankfort to Kokomo line. The latter route was subsequently abandoned (railbanked) after the Norfolk Southern Conrail merger allowed Norfolk Southern to move CERA interchange to Marion.
The railroad's main traffic comes from grain and metal products. The CERA hauled around 8,000 carloads in 2008.