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| Iowa Northern Railway | |
|---|---|
| Reporting marks | IANR |
| Locale | Manly, Greene, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, and Oelwein, Iowa |
| Dates of operation | 1981–Present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
The Iowa Northern Railway (AAR reporting marks IANR) is a Class III railroad in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Contents |
History
The origin of the Iowa Northern Railway starts with the major portion of the Manly to Cedar Rapids line which was built in the 1870s by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad. That line became part of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island RR) and remained in Rock Island ownership until bankruptcy in 1980. On August 7, 1981 short line service between Cedar Rapids and Vinton and from Shell Rock to Nora Springs started. By mid-1982, the operations had been connected and expanded to the present size. In July 1984, Iowa Northern Railway purchased its line from the bankrupt Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad estate for $5.4 million. Iowa Northern Railway was incorporated in 1984 and was one of the first short-line railroads in the state of Iowa. The railroad was originally owned by a group of grain elevators located along the line. The line was sold in 1994 to the Iron Road Railway Company, which was headquartered in Livonia, Michigan. In July 1994, IANR abandoned a 14-mile (23 km) branch from Vinton to Dysart, Iowa. Today,[when?] the Iowa Northern Railway is under Sabin Family ownership and management.
Operations
Iowa Northern Railway operates 163 miles (262 km) in Iowa between Cedar Rapids in south eastern Iowa and Manly in north central Iowa. The railroad connects with the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CIC), known as the CRANDIC, in Cedar Rapids; with the Canadian National Railway (former Illinois Central Railroad/Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad) in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo; with the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (former I&M Rail Link) in Nora Springs; and with the Union Pacific Railroad in Manly, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The railroad employs 85 people, all located in Iowa. The railroad is headquartered in Cedar Rapids. Iowa Northern also has Customer Service and General Offices located in Greene, Iowa and its Bryant Yard Shops are located in Waterloo. Present day[when?] traffic consists/handled by the IANR include grain, ethanol and other biofuels related commodities, chemicals, food products, and machinery.
Traffic Levels
After the short line was established in 1984, the railroad handled 12,000 revenue cars and the average track speed was less than 10 mph (16 km/h). In 2006, traffic surged to 40,000 revenue cars and the average track speed is now 30 mph (48 km/h).
Oelwein Subdivision
In October 2003, Iowa Northern Railway began freight operations over a 23-mile (37 km) line of the former Chicago Great Western Railroad (CGW). This CGW portion of the current rail structure was originally constructed in the 1880s. The Chicago Great Western Railroad merged with Chicago and North Western Railway in 1968. The Chicago and North Western was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995. IANR operates freight service over a 23-mile line of railroad now owned by D&W Railroad between Dewar and Oelwein and over incidental UP trackage rights between Waterloo and Dewar. Traffic consists of repaired freight cars, grain and chemical products.