Indiana Rail Road

The Indiana Rail Road reporting mark|INRD is a United States Class III railroad, [Surface Transportation Board, [http://www.stb.dot.gov/Decisions/readingroom.nsf/c31258598e9102e6852574970019dd7b/2f26e8c57aaab44f85257364004c69fd?OpenDocument FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC, ET AL.--CONTROL--FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY, LLC] , September 28, 2007] originally operating over former former Illinois Central Railroad trackage from Lis, Illinois to Indianapolis, Indiana, a distance of 155 miles (249 km). This line, now known as the Indiana Rail Road's Indianapolis Subdivision comprises most of the former IC line from Indianapolis to Effingham, Illinois; Illinois Central successor Canadian National Railway retains the portion from Lis to Effingham.

In June 2006, INRD completed the purchase of the Canadian Pacific Railway line from Terre Haute to Bedford, Indiana, the former Milwaukee Road/Soo Line Latta Subdivision, now known as INRD's Chicago Subdivision, which crosses the Indianapolis Subdivision at grade at Linton, Indiana. The former Latta Sub was isolated from the rest of the CPR, and was reached from Chicago via trackage rights over CSX Transportation's former Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad line; further trackage rights over CSX's former Monon from Bedford to Louisville, Kentucky (negotiated as part of the Monon's merger with CSX predecessor Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1971) allowed the CPR access into the Bluegrass State. These trackage rights are now transferred to the Indiana Rail Road as part of the sale, bringing INRD's total route structure to approximately 500 miles. The company also operates the remnants of the Monon Railroad in and around Bloomington, Indiana, and has trackage rights over other lines in and around Indianapolis.

The INRD primarily hauls coal from Indiana mines to electric generating plants along the line. Appliances, grain, plastics, aggregates and food products are the other major freight hauled. Major customers include Indianapolis Power & Light, Ameren, Hoosier Energy, Duke Energy, Lincoland AgriEnergy (ethanol), Marathon Oil, Hershey Foods, General Electric, Mont Eagle Mills, PolyOne Corporation, Bemis Plastics and others.

The company's executive and administrative offices are located in downtown Indianapolis, with a classification yard, shops and main transloading facility located on the city's south side at the Senate Avenue Terminal. Additional classification yards are located at Palestine, Illinois and Jasonville, Indiana. The latter facility, known as Hiawatha (in tribute to original owner Milwaukee Road's crack passenger trains) is also home to the main locomotive servicing facility. The company was formed in 1986 by entrepreneur Thomas Hoback, who remains president and chief executive officer. CSX Transportation now owns a majority interest in the parent company.

A comprehensive history of the railroad prior to the Chicago Subdivision inauguration was published in 2006 by Indiana University Press.

External links

* [http://www.inrd.com Indiana Rail Road official web site]
* [http://inrd.gotdns.com Indiana Rail Road railfan page]
* [http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=22591 Indiana University Press]