Mid-Michigan Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Mid-Michigan Railroad is a railroad owned by RailAmerica
, having been acquired in 2000. It operates 56 miles (90.1 km) of track in Michigan
.
. The company was owned at inception by RailTex
, a Texas
-based holding company which owned many short line railroads. The Mid-Michigan bought two lines from CSX:Elmdale–Greenville
and Paines–Elwell. In 1999 it sold the southernmost 5.6 miles (9 km) of Elmdale line, Elmdale–Malta, back to CSX.
. After passing through Belding, Michigan
, it interchanges with the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad
in Lowell, Michigan
. This line was originally built by the Ionia and Lansing Railroad
(north of Belding to Greenville), the Patterson Railroad
(north of Belding to Belding), and the Grand Rapids, Belding and Saginaw Railroad
(Lowell to Belding).
In 1987, 3,500 carloads moved north of Lowell. However, traffic steadily declined after that, especially when the Frigidaire
factory in Greenville closed in 2005. By 2007, no traffic was moving at all, and the railroad filed this portion of the line for abandonment. It is planned to be sold to a rail trail
.
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. It operates 56 miles (90.1 km) of track in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
History
The company incorporated in 1987, for the purpose of acquiring railway lines from the CSX CorporationCSX Corporation
CSX Corporation was formed in 1980 by the merger of Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries and eventually merged the various railroads owned by those predecessors into a single line that became known as CSX Transportation. Based in Richmond, Virginia, USA after the merger, in 2003...
. The company was owned at inception by RailTex
RailTex
RailTex was a transportation holding company that specialized in owning and operating short line railroads across North America.Based in San Antonio, Texas, the public company was a leader in making unprofitable lines shed by Class I railroads into viable transportation routes.The company was sold...
, a Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based holding company which owned many short line railroads. The Mid-Michigan bought two lines from CSX:Elmdale–Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
and Paines–Elwell. In 1999 it sold the southernmost 5.6 miles (9 km) of Elmdale line, Elmdale–Malta, back to CSX.
Greenville-Lowell
The northern terminus of the Greenville-Lowell line is Greenville, MichiganGreenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
. After passing through Belding, Michigan
Belding, Michigan
Belding is a city in Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,877 at the 2000 census. Belding is a small rural city surrounded almost entirely by farmland...
, it interchanges with the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad
Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad
The Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad is a railroad in western Michigan that runs east-west through Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Its of trackage ends at the Saint Mary's Siding, where it meets the Coopersville and Marne Railway. It interchanges with CSX Transportation at Grand Rapids and...
in Lowell, Michigan
Lowell, Michigan
Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,013. The city is in the northern portion of Lowell Township, but is politically independent...
. This line was originally built by the Ionia and Lansing Railroad
Ionia and Lansing Railroad
The Ionia and Lansing Rail Road is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan in the 1860s and 1870s. The company incorporated on November 13, 1865; the investors hailed primarily from Lansing, Ionia and Portland...
(north of Belding to Greenville), the Patterson Railroad
Patterson Railroad
The Patterson Railroad is a defunct railroad that existed in Michigan during the early 1870s. The company incorporated on September 21, 1870 and filed articles on October 3 to construct a line between Patterson Mills and Kiddville...
(north of Belding to Belding), and the Grand Rapids, Belding and Saginaw Railroad
Grand Rapids, Belding and Saginaw Railroad
The Grand Rapids, Belding and Saginaw Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan at the turn of the 20th century.The company formed on September 26, 1898, with the intention of owning a line from Greenville to Hastings via Belding, Lowell and Freeport...
(Lowell to Belding).
In 1987, 3,500 carloads moved north of Lowell. However, traffic steadily declined after that, especially when the Frigidaire
Frigidaire
Frigidaire is a brand of consumer and commercial appliances. Frigidaire was founded as the Guardian Frigerator Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and developed the first self-contained refrigerator in 1916. In 1918, William C...
factory in Greenville closed in 2005. By 2007, no traffic was moving at all, and the railroad filed this portion of the line for abandonment. It is planned to be sold to a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
.