Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad , known to many as the South Shore Line, is a Class III
freight railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois
, and South Bend, Indiana
. The railroad serves as a link between Class I railroad
s and local industries in northeast Illinois
and northwest Indiana
.
Freight and passenger service on the South Shore Line were operated as the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB) under several owners until the line went bankrupt in 1989. Dispatching and the main line was taken over at that time by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
(NICTD) for continued operation of passenger service. The line's freight service and non-passenger track was picked up in 1990 by the new Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad, owned by Anacostia and Pacific
. The Kensington and Eastern Railroad (the piece of the railroad in Illinois
) was acquired from the Illinois Central Railroad
in 1996.
The CSS&SB operates diesel locomotive
s on the whole line. It also operates the former Indianapolis, La Porte and Michigan City Railroad and Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad, once part of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
(Nickel Plate) system, from Michigan City southeast to Dillon (southeast of Stillwell
), bought from Norfolk Southern in 2001. Via trackage rights
it connects to many other railroads in the Chicago
area, with connections to the Port of Chicago
, Proviso Yard and Joliet.
The CSS&SB's primary businesses are coal and steel, the coal delivered to the Michigan City and Burns Harbor generating stations owned by Northern Indiana Public Service Company
. The CSS&SB also serves many online customers along the line.
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...
freight railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. The railroad serves as a link between Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s and local industries in northeast Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and northwest 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...
.
History
South Shore Line (NICTD)
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana...
(NICTD) for continued operation of passenger service. The line's freight service and non-passenger track was picked up in 1990 by the new Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad, owned by Anacostia and Pacific
Anacostia and Pacific Company
Anacostia and Pacific Company is a transportation development and consulting firm responsible for the operations of several railroads:*Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad*Louisville and Indiana Railroad*New York and Atlantic Railway...
. The Kensington and Eastern Railroad (the piece of the railroad in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) was acquired from the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
in 1996.
The CSS&SB operates diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s on the whole line. It also operates the former Indianapolis, La Porte and Michigan City Railroad and Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad, once part of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
(Nickel Plate) system, from Michigan City southeast to Dillon (southeast of Stillwell
Stillwell, Indiana
Stillwell is an unincorporated town in Pleasant Township, LaPorte County, Indiana.-Geography:Stillwell is located at ....
), bought from Norfolk Southern in 2001. Via trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
it connects to many other railroads in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area, with connections to the Port of Chicago
Port of Chicago
The Port of Chicago consists of several major port facilities within the city of Chicago, Illinois operated by the Illinois International Port District . The central element of the Port District, Calumet Harbor, is maintained by the U.S...
, Proviso Yard and Joliet.
The CSS&SB's primary businesses are coal and steel, the coal delivered to the Michigan City and Burns Harbor generating stations owned by Northern Indiana Public Service Company
NiSource
NiSource, Inc. , based in Merrillville, Indiana, is a Fortune 500 company engaged in natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution...
. The CSS&SB also serves many online customers along the line.
See also
- South Shore Line (NICTD)South Shore Line (NICTD)The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana...
the commuter rail line running over much of the same trackage.
External links
- Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad Official Site
- Anacostia and Pacific's Chicago Southshore and South Bend page
- 1973 Illinois Central Gulf Railroad track charts - Kensington and Eastern Railroad
- CSS&SB Pictures Includes freight and passenger pictures taken 2005