SAGINAW, Mich. – Lake State Railway Co. will take over a CSX Transportation line between Mt. Morris, Mich., and Plymouth, Mich., effective March 30, and plans to begin operations on the line on March 31.
Lake State Railway will lease the 55-mile section of the CSX Saginaw Subdivision with an eye toward eventual purchase. CSX retains overhead track rights between Flint’s McGrew Yard and a connection with the Canadian National at Belsay in Flint for its Port Huron traffic.
In preparation for the takeover, Lake State has purchased six SD50-2s from CSX, sending the units to Motive Equipment Inc. in for maintenance and paint prior to their deliver. The locomotives will help handle traffic including unit grain trains and coal traffic for Consumers Power Karn Generating Plant in Essexville, Mich. Until those locomotives are delivered, Lake State has taken short-term leases on six-axle EMD locomotives.
Lake State Railway plans to return some locations that had been used for storage by CSX into active tracks. This includes McGrew Yard, which had in recent years seen more than 75 percent of its trackage empty or in use for long-term storage. The yard will be the focal point of operations for Lake State, originating and terminating multiple yard jobs and road freights.
Lake State, headquartered in Saginaw, was founded in 1992 and operates 300 miles of former Detroit & Mackinac and CSX lines in Michigan.
–This story was updated 2 p.m. April 1 to correct the locomotive model purchased from CSX
Glad to hear that Lake States is taking over the Plymouth to Mt. Morris line. It is true that there are only a couple of trains daily on the line. One of the comments below is incorrect regarding current volume on the Plymouth to Grand Rapids line; I live on the line and besides 1 scheduled manifest in each direction 7 days a week, there are also loaded and empty grain trains running to/from Webberville through the 6 months of grain season. I’m optimistic that the Lake States lease to purchase will be a good thing.
Most of you don’t have a clue. It’s a line that has been on the CSX target for YEARS, no traffic to speak of. Maybe a train each way on most days. Agood piece of the traffic comes from Lake States anyway. Port Huron traffic is trackage rights on CN to the old PH&D for salt traffic and there was a coal train that ran as well. This is prime trackage for someone else to run without all the “grandfathered in cost” that CSX has.
Steven,I considered you to be among the informed. I grew up I Flint, Longfellow, Flint Central, and have worked there until just recently. My point was all the anti CSX complaining completely misses the fact that they can not effeciently handle low traffic areas. You were very correct that it is great news, not bad. Also, when did EMD make a dash 2 SD50 or 60?
Robert Withorn…I sir, have a clue…I live practically right on top of McGrew yard. True, on line customers are far and few, but, as you stated, there is good bridge traffic to and from LSRR. Now, the Port Huron trackage, here’s an update for you…there is no salt traffic. It’s Propane, and empty returns to there. Lot’s of it. And, plastic pellets, and a Chrysler plant. Coal was good a few years ago, phasing out soon. Easy peasy for CSX to keep…the 53 miles between are 60 mph freight condition, and CSX doesn’t have to maintain it. $$$ for them.
The information about the purchased locomotives seems odd to me too, I believe the correct ones are what Alex Christmas stated below.
I’ve seen bankrupt railroads try very hard, like the New Haven. In contrast, Chicken Stuff Express, which is solvent, doesn’t seem to give a rip. Why don’t they just fold up and go away.
Sold CSX and bought CNI. CSX looks like a railroad going out of business. After selling their losers (for them, not the buyers) they will be taken over, maybe by NS, UP or BNSF.
CSX lines in MI have been said to be for sale since before the sick magician flew through on his way to forever. Grand Rapids to Plymouth used to host 20-30 trains a day now sees trains 2-3 times a week. I miss the daily parades of red CP trains running minutes apart.
Correction: LSRC purchased SD50-2s from CSX, not SD60-2s.
Im not familiar with the SD60-2. Is that an internal designation?
I live two miles from Flint McGrew yard…This is good news. Not that CSX has been a bad operating railroad around here, but I believe Lake State RR with their stellar operational record will make this takeover work wonders for both their customers and their railroad. There are a lot of Michigan railroad fans that have been waiting eagerly for this move to happen.