New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois Railroad

The NJI&I was originally created by the Singer Sewing Machine Company in order to transport their products from South Bend, Indiana, to a connection with the Wabash Railroad in Pine, Indiana. The line began service in 1905 and officially operated on only 11.4 miles of track.

Up until and through World War I the line offered two passenger trains round trip daily to Detroit. In the 1930s passenger service was discontinued. The Wabash had purchased the line in 1926 but continued to operate it as a separate railroad.^[1]

The major customers included Singer Manufacturing and the Studebaker Corporation. The NJI&I continued in service until 1982 when the Norfork Southern absorbed the line. ^[2]

Studebaker shut down its South Bend assembly plant in December of 1963, and its engine foundry in 1964, consolidating auto production at its Hamilton, ON, plant until Studebaker exited the auto business completely in March of 1966. The shutdown of Studebaker's automotive operations in South Bend combined with Singer closing its plant 1954 dealt two big blows to the NJI&I. Other industries took over parts of the former Studebaker plant like Allied Stamping which offset some of the lost business.

The New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois name is derived from the three states where Singer operated plants at the time of charter. The railroad was eventually taken over by the Wabash and operated through the Norfolk and Western takeover. The line continued to service several customers until the NS-Conrail takeover allowed NS to access their customers via the former New York Central Chicago line. The mainline to Pine was abandoned and removed to just past Calvert Street in the late 1990s.^[3]