Grand Rapids Subdivision

The Grand Rapids Subdivision is a railroad line in Western Michigan and Northern Indiana. It runs 136 miles (219 km) from Porter, Indiana to Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was built between 1870–1903 by the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad and its successor the Pere Marquette Railroad. CSX Transportation owns the line today. In addition to freight traffic, the line hosts Amtrak's daily Pere Marquette.

Grand Rapids Subdivision
The Pere Marquette on the Grand Rapids Subdivision
Overview
Owner	CSX Transportation
Locale	Michigan and Indiana
Termini	Porter, Indiana Grand Rapids, Michigan
Service
Services	Pere Marquette
History
Opened	2 February 1870 (1870-02-02)
Technical
Line length	136 mi (219 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Legend mi Grand Rapids Terminal Subdivision Wyoming Yard 6.0 Grandville 13.2 Hudsonville 19.1 Zeeland Fremont Subdivision 24.4 Waverly Yard Macatawa River Hamilton Industrial Track 25.3 Holland 32.0 East Saugatuck Kalamazoo River 36.2 New Richmond 40.4 Fennville 41.4 Wells 48.1 Pullman 53.9 Grand Junction 60.5 Bangor 61.3 Gross 68.8 Hartford 70.2 Kirk 73.8 Watervliet 76.8 Coloma 80.1 Riverside 82.8 Grey 87.5 Benton Harbor St. Joseph River 87.9 St. Joseph 91.9 Vine 94.9 Stevensville 98.3 Livingston 100.1 Bridgman 104.6 Sawyer Michigan Line New Buffalo 115.1 New Buffalo 115.2 New Buffalo Yard La Crosse Subdivision Michigan Line Michigan Indiana South Shore Line CSS&SB 126.1 Michigan City 135.5 Porter Chicago Line 136.0 Porter Junction < Michigan Line Porter Subdivision > Chicago Line [1][2] This diagram: view talk edit

Route

The northern end of the line is in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it meets the Grand Rapids Terminal Subdivision at Wyoming Yard. From there, the line runs west-southwest toward Indiana, roughly following the Lake Michigan coastline but staying inland until Benton Harbor, Michigan. In New Buffalo, Michigan, the line crosses over Amtrak's Michigan Line but there is no interchange. In Porter, Indiana, the line joins with the Chicago Line of the Norfolk Southern Railway.^[1]

History

The Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad opened the oldest part of the line on February 2, 1870, running between St. Joseph, Michigan, and Union Pier, Michigan, on the Indiana border. In 1871–1872 the line was further extended to Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Pere Marquette Railway, successor to the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore, extended the line south from Union Pier to Porter, Indiana, in 1903.^[3]