SHORT LINE RAILROADS - MICHIGAN
Smaller companies operating former main line trackage, no longer wanted by the large railroads. In 1976, the bankruptcy of Penn Central and other northeast railroads led to the formation of Conrail, which was free to abandon routes with limited traffic potential. Thus began a new trend of forming short line railroads, which could operate certain routes more successfully than the large railroads.
ADRIAN & BLISSFIELD RAILROAD
Segment of former New York Central "Old Line".
Adrian-East Riga
ANN ARBOR RAILROAD
South segment of old Ann Arbor Railroad.
Toledo-Osmer
COOPERSVILLE & MARNE RAILWAY
Former Grand Trunk Western line west of Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids-Coopersville
DETROIT CONNECTING RAILROAD
Former Grand Trunk Western trackage in Detroit.
Detroit-Milwaukee Jct.
GRAND ELK RAILROAD
Former New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad lines between Elkhart and Grand Rapids.
Elkhart-White Pigeon Jct.
White Pigeon Jct.-Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids
GRAND RAPIDS EASTERN RAILROAD
Former Grand Trunk Western line east of Grand Rapids.
Lowell-Grand Rapids
GREAT LAKES CENTRAL RAILROAD
Several former railroads in Michigan.
Osmer-Durand
Owosso-Yuma
Cadillac-Petoskey/Traverse City
Grawn-Traverse City
Traverse City-Williamsburg
Owosso-Fergus
Ashley-Middleton
HURON & EASTERN RAILWAY
Several former railroads in Michigan.
Durand-Owosso
Durand-Saginaw
Saginaw-Bay City to Midland
Millington-Munger
Vassar-Colling
Saginaw-Brown City
Saginaw-Croswell
Kinde Branch/Ruth Branch
INDIANA & OHIO RAILROAD
Former Detroit Toledo & Ironton line.
Diann-Delta
INDIANA NORTHEASTERN RAILROAD
Several former railroads in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Steubenville-Jonesville
Coldwater-Hillsdale
Jonesville-Litchfield
JACKSON & LANSING RAILROAD
Former New York Central line.
Jackson-Lansing
LAKE STATE RAILWAY
Several former railroads in Michigan.
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland Lines
Bay City-Gaylord
Pinconning-Alpena
MARQUETTE RAIL
Former Pere Marquette/Chesapeake & Ohio lines north of Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids-Baldwin
Baldwin-Ludington
Walhalla-Manistee
MICHIGAN SHORE RAILROAD
Former Pere Marquette/Chesapeake & Ohio lines near Muskegon.
Consumers Energy Spur-Berry
Berry-Fremont
MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILROAD
Segment of former New York Central "Old Line".
White Pigeon Jct.-Sturgis
MID MICHIGAN RAILROAD
Former Pere Marquette/Chesapeake & Ohio line west of Saginaw.
Saginaw-Alma
WEST MICHIGAN RAILROAD
Former Pere Marquette/Chesapeake & Ohio line.
Paw Paw-Hartford