History of railroads in Michigan

Railroads have been vital in the history of the population and trade of rough and finished goods in the state of Michigan. While some coastal settlements had previously existed, the population, commercial, and industrial growth of the state further bloomed with the establishment of the railroad.

The state's proximity to Ontario, Canada, aided the transport of goods in a smooth east–west trajectory from the eastern shore of Lake Michigan toward Montreal and Quebec.

Major railroads in the state, prior to 20th century consolidations, had been the Michigan Central Railroad and the New York Central Railroad.

The system has been reduced from more than 9,000 route miles in the beginning of the 20th century to around 3,600 route miles at the beginning of the 21st century. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) owns 665 miles of these, based on the State Transportation Preservation Act of 1976.^[1]