BLUE ISLAND, Ill. — Iowa Interstate Railroad operated a Family Days passenger train from Blue Island, Ill., its Chicago-area gateway, to Mokena, Ill., on Saturday, Oct. 5 to celebrate the railroad’s 40th anniversary. Railroad President Joe Parsons was on handle to welcome families and employees past and present, and thank them for their dedication. The train of two locomotives and three passenger cars operated on Metra and Iowa Interstate trackage.
Iowa Interstate’s founding dates to purchase of 553 miles of former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific trackage between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Bureau, Ill., for $31 million on Oct. 10, 1984. The first train ran on April 29, 1985 after finalizing of trackage rights with CSX Transportation and Metra. More on the railroad’s history is available on this page of the Iowa Interstate website.
