Illinois Central Railroad

Illinois Central Railroad
Company type	Public
Industry	Railroad
Founded	1851
Founder	Sidney Breese
Fate	Acquired by Canadian National Railway in 1998; operational integration completed in 1999
Successor	Canadian National Railway (via subsidiary Grand Trunk Corporation)
Headquarters	Chicago, United States
Area served	Central United States, including Illinois, Louisiana, Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Florida
Key people	Sidney Breese (founder), Robert Schuyler, William P. Burrall, John N. A. Griswold, William H. Osborn, John M. Dou
Products	Freight and passenger rail transport
Owner	Canadian National Railway (since 1998)
Parent	Grand Trunk Corporation (subsidiary of Canadian National Railway)

The Illinois Central Railroad, often referred to as the Main Line of Mid-America, is a significant historic railway system in the Central United States. Its principal routes connected Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, effectively linking the Great Lakes region to the Gulf of Mexico. Additional lines extended westward to Sioux City, Iowa, with branch lines reaching Omaha, Nebraska and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The IC also provided service to Miami, Florida, through trackage rights agreements.

Established in 1851, the IC was a pioneer in utilizing land grant financing for railroad construction—a funding approach that was later adopted by numerous other major railroads across the United States. In 1998, control of the Illinois Central was acquired by the Canadian National Railway via its subsidiary Grand Trunk Corporation, with full operational integration completed by 1999. Although it no longer operates independently, the Illinois Central continues to exist as a corporate non-operating entity. The railroad’s cultural significance is underscored by Steve Goodman’s 1971 folk song "City of New Orleans," which celebrates its historic passenger services.

History

The Illinois Central was incorporated by the Illinois General Assembly in 1836 and officially chartered in 1851, making it one of the earliest Class I railroads in the country. Prominent political figures such as Senator Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln—who acted as legal counsel for the company—were early supporters. It became the first federally funded land-grant railroad following President Millard Fillmore's signing of legislation in 1850, setting an important precedent for infrastructure financing.

Completed in 1856, the IC held the distinction of being the longest railroad worldwide at that time, stretching from Cairo to Galena, Illinois, with additional branches extending to Chicago and beyond. During the latter part of the 19th century, it expanded its reach into Iowa and southern states including Mississippi and Louisiana, extending lines all the way to New Orleans and Louisville. Northern growth included extensions into Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

The railroad encountered labor unrest during the 1911 shopmen’s strike but managed to continue operations by employing replacement workers. By 1925, it operated over 6,500 miles of route and generated significant freight and passenger revenue ton-miles. The IC phased out its last steam locomotive in 1960 and reorganized as Illinois Central Industries in 1962. Later diversification efforts included acquiring Abex Corporation in 1968.

Revenue freight ton-miles (millions)
Year	IC (incl Y&MV, G&SI)	Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific
15,050	239	159
7,776	(into Y&MV)	(into Y&MV)
24,012
17,171
22,902

Revenue passenger-miles (millions)
Year	IC (incl Y&MV, G&SI)	Vicksburg Shreveport & Pacific
982	22	20
547	(into Y&MV)	(into Y&MV)
2225
848
764

By the close of 1970, Illinois Central managed roughly 6,761 miles of mainline track and over 11,000 miles of total track mileage. The company pursued strategic network growth across vital Midwestern and Southern regions while broadening its business scope through acquisitions such as Abex Corporation to diversify its operations.

Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (1972–1988)

On August 10, 1972, the Illinois Central Railroad combined with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad to establish the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. That same year, the company suffered its most tragic event in the Illinois Central Gulf commuter rail accident.

By 1980, ICG managed 8,366 miles of railroad spanning 13,532 miles of track, reporting revenue freight of 33,276 million ton-miles alongside 323 million passenger-miles. During the 1980s, the corporation sold off numerous east–west and overlapping north–south routes, including large portions of the former GM&O lines. These segments were taken over by various railroads and new operators such as the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway, Paducah and Louisville Railway, Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad, and MidSouth Rail Corporation.

In 1988, IC Industries divested its remaining rail holdings and changed its corporate identity to Whitman Corporation. On February 29, 1988, the spun-off ICG eliminated "Gulf" from its name, returning to the Illinois Central Railroad designation.

Canadian National Railway (1998–present)

On February 11, 1998, Canadian National Railway (CN) purchased Illinois Central for roughly $2.4 billion in cash and stock. The integration of operations commenced on July 1, 1999.

In November 2020, CN celebrated the 25th anniversary of its privatization by unveiling locomotives adorned in heritage paint schemes honoring predecessor and subsidiary railroads. Among them, GE ET44AC No. 3008 was repainted in Illinois Central’s traditional black livery featuring original logos.

Passenger train service

Illinois Central played a crucial role in passenger transportation along its Chicago-to-New Orleans corridor and between Chicago and St. Louis. It also provided service on the Chicago-to-Omaha route, albeit with less emphasis. The company’s principal passenger terminal was Central Station in Chicago. Its north–south corridor stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes was especially significant during the African American Great Migration of the 1920s.

The premier train was the Panama Limited, an all-Pullman car service running between Chicago and New Orleans with a branch line to St. Louis. In 1949, Illinois Central launched the daytime all-coach City of New Orleans, which included sections serving St. Louis and Louisville. By 1967, due to mounting financial deficits, the Panama Limited was merged with the coach-only Magnolia Star.

When Amtrak assumed control of intercity rail on May 1, 1971, it maintained Illinois Central’s mainline but replaced the Panama Limited with the City of New Orleans. Amtrak later restored the Panama Limited name for an overnight schedule before reverting to City of New Orleans in 1981 to capitalize on the train’s popularity following Steve Goodman’s song—famously covered by Willie Nelson—which reached number one on country charts in 1984.

Additional notable trains included The Creole, The Louisiane, and the distinguished Green Diamond operating between Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis. The Hawkeye offered daily service from Chicago to Sioux City, while the City of Miami ran every other day between Chicago and Miami through partnerships with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Central of Georgia Railroad, and Florida East Coast Railway.

Illinois Central also maintained significant commuter rail operations within Chicago, particularly the "IC Electric" line connecting Randolph Street Terminal to southeastern suburbs. In 1987, this route was sold to Metra, now operating as the Metra Electric District from Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Terminal). On Metra maps, this Electric District is identified by "Panama Orange," paying tribute to the Panama Limited. The company formerly operated a less successful West Line serving western suburbs until it ceased operations in 1931.

Presently, Amtrak operates three daily trains along this corridor: the City of New Orleans plus the Illini and Saluki running between Chicago and Carbondale. Efforts are ongoing to restore service on the former Black Hawk route linking Chicago, Rockford, and Dubuque. A feasibility analysis estimated capital expenditures between $32 million and $55 million with annual state subsidies near $5 million.

On December 10, 2010, IDOT selected a primarily CN-owned route for resuming service by 2014.

Illinois Central Named Passenger Trains

Train	Northern Endpoint	Southern Endpoint
Cannonball Express or Illinois Central Fast Mail	Chicago	New Orleans
Chickasaw	St. Louis	New Orleans
City of Miami	Chicago	Miami
City of New Orleans	Chicago	New Orleans
Creole	Chicago, Louisville, St. Louis	New Orleans
Daylight	Chicago	St. Louis
Delta Express	Memphis, Tennessee	Greenville, Mississippi
Floridan	Chicago and St. Louis	Miami
Green Diamond	Chicago	St. Louis
Governor's Special	Chicago	Springfield, Illinois
Hawkeye	Chicago	Sioux City, Iowa / Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Chicago \| Carbondale, Illinois
Chicago \| Sioux City, Iowa
Louisville, Kentucky \| Memphis, Tennessee
Louisville, Kentucky \| Memphis, Tennessee
Chicago \| Waterloo, Iowa
Chicago and Louisville \| New Orleans
Chicago \| New Orleans
Chicago \| St. Louis / Memphis, Tennessee
'Union Station (Jackson, Mississippi)' \| 'New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' \| 'Union Station (St. Louis)' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' \| 'New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal' \|
'Shreveport, Louisiana' \| 'Union Station (Meridian, Mississippi)' with sleeper connections to New York City on Southern Railway's Pelican \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' \| 'New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal' \|
'Memphis Central Station' \| 'New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' and 'Union Station (St. Louis)' \| 'Jacksonville Terminal Complex' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' \| 'Carbondale, Illinois' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' \| 'Freeport, Iowa' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' \| 'New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal' \|
'Union Station (Meridian, Mississippi)' with sleepers from New York City on Southern Railway's Pelican \| 'Shreveport, Louisiana' \|
'Central Station (Chicago terminal)' and 'Union Station (St. Louis)' \| 'Miami, Florida' \|

Corporate Leadership

The Illinois Central Railroad has been led by numerous influential presidents throughout its history, including:

Sidney Breese, acknowledged as the company's founder and often called the "Father of the Illinois Central Railroad"
Robert Schuyler, 1851–1853
William P. Burrall, 1853–1854
John N. A. Griswold, 1855
William H. Osborn, 1855–1865
John M. Douglas, 1865–1871 and again 1875–1876
John Newell, 1871–1874
Wilson G. Hunt, 1874–1875
William K. Ackerman, 1876–1883
James C. Clarke, 1883–1887
Stuyvesant Fish, 1887–1906
James Theodore Harahan, 1906–1911
Charles H. Markham, 1911–1918 and 1919–1926
Charles A. Peabody, 1918–1919
Lawrence A. Downs, 1926–1938
John L. Beven, 1938–1945
Wayne A. Johnston, 1945–1966; also served as chairman of Illinois Central Industries until 1967
William B. Johnson, 1967–1969; chairman of IC Industries through 1987
Alan Stephenson Boyd, 1969–1972
William J Taylor, 1976–1983
Harry J Bruce, 1983–1990
Edward L. Moyers, 1990–1993
E. Hunter Harrison, 1993–1998

Historic Preservation

Numerous Illinois Central locomotives and rolling stock have been preserved in museums and heritage sites nationwide as a testament to the railroad’s historical significance and industry standing.

Key preserved equipment includes:

No. 201, a suburban tank locomotive with a 2-4-4 wheel arrangement exhibited at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.
No. 268, an 0-6-0 switcher engine located in Laurel, Mississippi.
No. 333, another 0-6-0 switcher along with passenger cars displayed at the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
No. 764, a class 651 consolidation type steam locomotive with a 2-8-0 configuration donated to the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.
No. 790, currently on exhibit at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
No. 1518, a Mikado-type steam engine with a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement showcased in Paducah, Kentucky.
Nos. 2500 and 2542, both Mountain class locomotives with a 4-8-2 wheel setup preserved statically in Centralia, Illinois and McComb, Mississippi respectively.
Additional preserved units include No. 3525 displayed as Southern Railway equipment; No. 3706 at the Illinois Railway Museum; GP10 No.8408 and GP11 No.8701 alongside a caboose at Carbondale station.

Preservation efforts also encompass various passenger coaches, business cars, sleeping cars and cabooses housed at institutions such as the Monticello Railway Museum and Casey Jones Railroad Museum.

Electric commuter railcars like the "Wickerliner" and "Highliner" models manufactured by Pullman and Bombardier remain conserved at the Illinois Railway Museum—highlighting important contributions to regional commuter transportation.

These preserved artifacts collectively emphasize Illinois Central’s enduring legacy within railroading history and its ongoing recognition for strategic leadership and operational excellence.

Mississippi Central Railroad: Early Era (1852–1878)

Chartered in 1852, the Mississippi Central constructed a broad gauge line measuring approximately 255 miles between Canton, Mississippi and Jackson, Tennessee from 1853 to completion in 1860. This route connected with significant railroads including the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad at Canton; Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Grand Junction; and Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Jackson.

The railroad suffered extensive damage due to military engagements during the Civil War between 1862 and 1863 but was restored promptly under company president Absolom M. West after hostilities ceased.

By the mid-1870s interchange traffic with Illinois Central had grown sufficiently to warrant installation of a Nutter hoist at Cairo, Illinois—enabling efficient transfer between Mississippi Central’s broad gauge equipment and Illinois Central’s standard gauge rolling stock by facilitating truck swaps on multiple freight cars per hour as well as rapid Pullman car exchanges.

Ultimately by 1878 ownership was consolidated when Mississippi Central was absorbed into the Illinois Central subsidiary Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad.

Mississippi Central Railroad: Later Period (1897–1967)

The railroad initially began in 1897 under the name "Pearl and Leaf Rivers Railroad," constructed by J.J. Newman Lumber Company to connect Hattiesburg with Sumrall in Mississippi.

Incorporating the name Mississippi Central Railroad Template:Reporting mark from 1904 onward; it expanded further by acquiring the Natchez and Eastern Railway—established in 1906 linking Natchez to Brookhaven—integration completed by 1909.

During the decade of the 1920s it operated "The Natchez Route," serving traffic from Natchez to Mobile via trackage rights over Gulf Mobile & Northern Railroad lines.

Freight cars were transferred across the Mississippi River at Natchez to connect with Louisiana & Arkansas Railway tracks enabling through shipments to Shreveport.

Incorporation into Illinois Central's system occurred upon acquisition of Mississippi Central assets in 1967.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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Stover, John F., Purdue University: The Management of the Illinois Central Railroad in the Twentieth Century
University of Illinois Archives: Wayne A. Johnston Papers
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Additional Reading

Daly, Aiden Thomas: "Homes for Industrious Workers: The Role of Illinois Central Railroad in Economic Development of Illinois from 1850 to 1861" PhD dissertation
Downey, Clifford J.: Chicago and the Illinois Central Railroad, Arcadia Publishing
Gates, Paul Wallace: Studies on agricultural promotion by Illinois Central during mid-late nineteenth century
Lightner, David L.: Labor on the Illinois Central Railroad, historical labor environment analysis
Murray Tom: Illinois Central Railroad, photographic overview
Stover John F.: Comprehensive histories covering operational management across decades
Sutton Robert M.: Analysis on railroad's role during peace and wartime periods

External links