A new rail line on a historic right of way will expand passenger train service, encourage new businesses and economic development, and enhance the infrastructure of adjacent neighborhoods.
Railroad route map.
As part of the recreated of railroad yard at 4th street, several miles of historic New York Central Railroad and Toledo & Chicago Electric Railway right of way and easements will be reactivated under the operation of the Fort Wayne Railroad as a short line freight and passenger carrier.
Short Line Railroad – a short line railroad operates over a condensed distance and exists to link industries, interchange traffic, and offer tourist passenger train service. Short lines are typically created to take over smaller lines that are operationally challenging or financially unrewarding for larger railroads, but like their larger counterparts, short line railroads provide communities with an, efficient, environmentally friendly alternative to trucks while sustaining local businesses and are better equipped to handle smaller car loads than larger railroads.
The rebuilding of the New York Central line will allow for the railroad to reach Science Central, Brookview, Franke Park, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, and Glenbrook Mall to the north and Cass Street Depot, Wells Street Corridor, and Saint Francis University to the southwest.
The railroad will also be comprised of the existing Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad industrial spur at Runnion Avenue which will be purchased from Norfolk Southern and serve commerce to the north where business growth has been curtailed by disinterested railroad service.
Fortunately, the New York Central and Grand Rapids & Indiana lines are insular from Norfolk Southern, which remains accessible via a connection point west of Osage Street, allowing uninterrupted operation without the need for interlocking. The railroad may also establish yard tracks at the site of the former Nickel Plate Road facility south of Burgess Street to advance freight operations.
The Fort Wayne Railroad will develop close ties with present online customers, and aggressively pursue new business, offering customized service that larger railroads are unable to provide. The railroad will be able to offer competitive transportation rates and real estate for commerce, providing the city with a new tool to lure area industry growth while complimenting existing businesses, encouraging more efficient transportation methods, and establishing an intermodal trans-loading facility wherein railroads can deliver merchandise even to customers who don’t have access to an active rail line.
The Grand Rapids & Indiana spur is a three-mile line that serves industries north of State Street and Coliseum Boulevard. At present, it dead-ends at Washington Center Road, but this would not prevent expansion in the future north of Washington Center on the remaining right of way for additional rail and trail service.
Pleasure trips and light rail service – Between Franke Park and Washington Center Road, the seven-mile railroad will offer up to hour-long pleasure trips and dinner train service, but also provide seasonal public transportation between station stops and trailheads along the line.
The presence of a rail line complimenting existing trails and within walking distance from many attractions offers a formidable and attractive transportation solution, supplanting a reliance on automobile traffic and could actually compliment new retail and existing commercial business.
Historically, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern built Cass Street Depot on Wells Street because of the Wells Street Bridge’s access to downtown. Once again, this corridor can become a trailhead and station stop for citizens and visitors.
Beyond this easily established railroad line, a downtown light rail system could be rebuilt as part of the overall system, retracting the city’s heritage lines and serving destinations further downtown.
Headwaters Junction 