The Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad (I&B) was formed in 1848 as a successor to the Pendleton and Indianapolis Railroad. It eventually became the Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, which in turn was succeeded by the Bellefontaine Railway in 1864, the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway

Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway

The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway was formed from the merger of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad with the Bellefontaine Railway in 1868...

 in 1868, and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway

The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States....

 (Big Four) in 1889. Though the I&B once used the four-foot ten-inch Ohio gauge, it was quickly converted to standard gauge (4 ft 8.5 in/1.435 m).

In 1850, the I&B was one of the three founding lines of the Union Track Railway Company

Indianapolis Union Railway

The Indianapolis Union Railway Company , is a terminal railroad operating in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was organized on May 31, 1850, as the Union Track Railway Company by the presidents of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad Company , the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad Company , and the...

 (along with the Madison and Indiana Railroad and the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad). Three years later, the UTRC changed its name to Indianapolis Union Railway (IU) and opened the world's first union station

Union station

A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...

 in Indiana's capitol city

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. The I&B's main line runs from the IU tracks east of Union Station northeast to Lawrence

Lawrence, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,915 people, 14,853 households, and 10,337 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,937.8 people per square mile . There were 16,292 housing units at an average density of 811.3 per square mile...

, Pendleton

Pendleton, Indiana

Pendleton is a town in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, and Anderson

Anderson, Indiana

Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...

. Just west of Muncie

Muncie, Indiana

Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...

, it turns to the east to pass through that city, then continues on through Winchester

Winchester, Indiana

Winchester is a city in White River Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Randolph County...

 before reaching the Ohio state line at Union City, Indiana

Union City, Indiana

Union City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 3,584.Union City was a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, a forerunner of the Pennsylvania Railroad that connected Pittsburgh to...

. Continuing eastward from Union City, Ohio

Union City, Ohio

Union City is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,767 at the 2000 census.-History:Union City was platted in 1838 and incorporated on December 6, 1853...

, it passes through Versailles

Versailles, Ohio

Versailles is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. It is the only village in Wayne Township. The population was 2,589 at the 2000 census. The proper local pronunciation of the name is "Ver Sales", with the accent on the second syllable.-History:...

 and Sidney

Sidney, Ohio

Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...

 before reaching its other namesake, Bellefontaine

Bellefontaine, Ohio

Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...

. This Indianapolis-Bellefontaine main line remains an important rail corridor into the early 21st Century, where it is now owned and operated by CSX Transportation

CSX Transportation

CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

.