The Monon Railroad was a rail line that operated almost entirely within Indiana.
The Monon Railroad (MON), formerly known as the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway from 1897 to 1971, was a rail line that operated almost entirely within Indiana. In 1971, the MON merged with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, which became part of the Seaboard Coast Line in 1982 and CSX Transportation in 1986.
History
The New Albany & Salem Railroad (NA&S) was organized in 1847 with James Brooks as president. By 1854, it connected the Ohio River at New Albany, Indiana, to Lake Michigan at Michigan City. 21 Due to financial strain, the NA&S was reorganized in 1859 as the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad (LNA&C).
During the Civil War, the LNA&C played a crucial role in supporting Union forces. It transported volunteers to mustering centers free of charge and offered half-price fares for sick, wounded, or discharged soldiers. 4 Additionally, it transported troops, ammunition, food, fuel, and medicine under contract. In 1861 alone, the government paid the railroad $9,149 to transport 9,105 soldiers to various destinations. Only two of Indiana’s 17 railroads at the time carried more military personnel.
In July 1863, Confederate General John Morgan’s raiders damaged the LNA&C by tearing out tracks, toppling water tanks, burning bridges, and destroying a depot at Salem. 4 The LNA&C was also notable for participating in Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train on April 30, 1865, carrying it at a speed of 5 MPH over a 90-mile stretch from Lafayette to Michigan City.
The railroad was reorganized as the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railway in 1873 and consolidated in 1881 with the Chicago & Indianapolis Air Line Railway. 21 This expansion extended its reach to Chicago and Indianapolis.
In 1882, the railroad began branding itself as “The Monon Route” on company maps, a nickname derived from the convergence of its main routes in Monon. 4 The name “Monon” traces back to Potawatomi words thought by early settlers to mean “swift running” or “tote.”
On July 1, 1897, the LNA&C was again reorganized, this time as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway (CIL). At its peak, the CIL’s mainline connected Chicago to Indianapolis and Louisville to Michigan City, with branches extending to Victoria and French Lick.
Modernization
The route from Harrodsburg to Clear Creek, passing through Smithville and Sanders south of Bloomington, was originally part of the New Albany & Salem Railroad (NA&S). 6 7 However, it had grades exceeding 2% and was prone to washouts. At the time of its completion, even the line’s most robust locomotive could handle only 15 loaded cars on this mainline section.
In January 1898, the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway (CIL) chartered a new line, the Indiana Stone Railroad, to access the area’s limestone resources. 7 With a maximum grade of 0.57%, this new line soon became the CIL’s main line, relegating the original Harrodsburg-to-Clear Creek route to a branch line. A bridge washout in 1941 ended through service on the branch line, abandoned in 1945.
In 1946, John W. Barriger III became president of the Monon and implemented a modernization plan, including streamlined operations, diesel locomotives, and new passenger cars. 4 On June 29, 1949, the Monon ran its last steam-powered service, becoming one of the first Class I railroads to adopt diesel power fully. 1
On January 11, 1956, the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway officially adopted its long-standing nickname, Monon, as its corporate title. 21
In 2000, the line through Lafayette was realigned along the Wabash River, parallel to a relocated Norfolk Southern Railway line.
Passenger Service
The Monon once offered several passenger services, including:
- Thoroughbred (Nos. 5/6): A daily service between Chicago and Louisville via Monon and Lafayette, Indiana.
- Bluegrass (Nos. 3/4): A night train with sleeping cars along the Thoroughbred route.
- Tippecanoe (Nos. 11/2): A daily service between Chicago and Indianapolis via Monon and Frankfort, Indiana.
- Hoosier (Nos. 15/16): Another daily service between Chicago and Indianapolis via Monon and Frankfort.
- Nos. 49/48 and 57/56: Daily services between Michigan City and Monon.
Passenger service to French Lick ended on September 24, 1949, and service between Chicago and Indianapolis was discontinued on April 9, 1959. 5 By 1965, the Thoroughbred was the last remaining service, operating a single daily roundtrip between Chicago and Louisville until September 30, 1969, when the Monon’s final regularly scheduled passenger train ceased operations.
From 1972 to 1979, Amtrak’s Floridian service between Chicago and Miami used former Monon tracks in Indiana. As of 2024, Amtrak still operates the Cardinal three times a week over the Monon route from Crawfordsville to Chicago, with stops at Lafayette, Rensselaer, and Dyer.
Abandonment
On March 21, 1968, a merger with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) was announced to address the Monon’s concern about losing business following the L&N’s acquisition of a competing line, the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. 2 The Monon officially merged with the L&N on July 31, 1971, and later became part of CSX in 1986. 21
The Monon was always considered a secondary route to the L&N and was never upgraded due to its long climb out of the Ohio River valley and the street-running tracks in many towns along its route. 21 Additionally, declining originating traffic, especially from limestone quarries south of Indianapolis, contributed to its reduced status. As a result, after the Monon became part of CSX, various segments were eventually abandoned.
First Subdivision: Chicago to Lafayette
In 1985, the L&N abandoned the Monon line in Hammond (MP 20.7 and MP 19.75). 6 CSX later removed tracks between the former Grand Trunk Western Railroad junction in Munster (MP 24.6) and Hammond (MP 20.7) in 2009, with the tracks becoming a part of the Monon Trail. Recently, the corridor was rebuilt to serve as the West Lake Corridor commuter rail line, operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD). Initially, service is running as far south as Munster/Dyer, with long-term plans to extend service beyond Lowell and Valparaiso.
Second Subdivision: Monon to Indianapolis
The L&N abandoned sections of the Monon line in Indianapolis, starting with the segment from 17th Street (MP 181) to 10th Street (MP 181.7) in 1976. 6 This was followed by the closure of the 17th Street to 22nd Street segment (MP 180.48). Similarly, the Norfolk & Western Railway (formerly Nickel Plate) abandoned its tracks from 10th Street to 13th Street in 1974. These actions disconnected both railroads from downtown Indianapolis, with both lines previously linking to the Penn Central at 10th Street.
In 1984, L&N further abandoned the line from Frankfort (MP 137.5) to 22nd Street in Indianapolis (MP 180.47). 6 The section from Frankfort to Delphi (MP 112.22) was taken out of service in 1992, followed by the Delphi to Monticello segment (MP 98) in 1993. The final remaining segment near Monticello (MP 88.33 to MP 98) was abandoned in 2014. The remainder of the Monon near Indianapolis, known as CSX 0QA, remains operational.
Third Subdivision: Monon to Michigan City
The L&N abandoned the Michigan City branch from Michigan City (MP 60.03) to Medaryville (MP 15.16) on April 18, 1981. 5 6 A 2.3-mile section at the northern end, along with an industrial track in Michigan City, was sold to the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB). The CSS&SB abandoned its portion of the Monon line in 1990, followed by the abandonment of the industrial track in 2001.
Fifth Subdivision: Bloomington to New Albany
In 1994, CSX removed its line between Bloomington (MP 222.5) and Bedford (MP 245), followed by the section from Gosport (MP 203.1) to Cloverdale (MP 190) in 1995. 6 CSX then applied for abandonment of the Bedford (MP 245) to Mitchell (MP 251.7) segment, which was denied. In 1997, CSX took the track from Gosport (MP 203.1) to Ellettsville (MP 213.41) out of service. Around this time, the section from Ellettsville to Hunters, west of Bloomington, was leased to a shortline operator. In 1999, CSX abandoned the last 0.35 miles of track remaining in Cloverdale.
Between Bedford (MP 245) and Mitchell (MP 251.7), the only rail service was provided by Indiana Rail Road (INRD) trains. In 2006, INRD acquired the former Latta Subdivision of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), which connected with the Monon at Bedford. The INRD operated on the old Monon line from Bedford to Louisville, utilizing trackage rights initially negotiated by the subdivision’s original owner, The Milwaukee Road, and later transferred to the Soo Line Railroad, a subsidiary of CP. In 2009, INRD ceased operations and removed its tracks from the Monon interchange in Bedford to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, located west of Bedford. As a result, CSX took the Monon line from Bedford (MP 245) to Mitchell (MP 251.7) out of service.
CSX operated trains between Louisville and St. Louis, Missouri, using the Louisville to Mitchell segment of the Monon line. Due to an unfavorable track arrangement in Mitchell, these trains had to make an unusual reverse move from the Monon to the former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line to reach St. Louis. However, starting in 2009, CSX ceased that complicated operation, shifting train movements to the Louisville & Indiana Railroad under a trackage rights agreement.
In 2016, CSX proposed abandoning 79 miles of the Monon line between Bedford (MP 245) and Verna (MP 315.5) near New Albany. 21 Of this, 68 miles between Mitchell (MP 251.7) and Verna remained in service but had not been used by a through train since 2014. The 11-mile section from Bedford (MP 245) to Mitchell (MP 251.7) had been out of service since 2009.
Other
The Monon operated the 18.88-mile French Lick Branch from its mainline near Orleans to French Lick, passing through West Baden and Paoli. 6 The L&N abandoned the segment from French Lick (MP 18.88) to Paoli (MP 8.88) in 1976, and the section from Paoli (MP 8.88) to Orleans (MP 1.74) in 1981. CSX removed the remaining track near Orleans in 1990.
The railroad also operated the I&L Branch, a 42-mile line from Wallace Junction to Victoria originally built by the Indianapolis & Louisville Railway. 6 This branch was abandoned by the L&N in 1981.
Additionally, the L&N abandoned the final six-mile section of the B&B Branch in 1981, originally part of the Bedford & Bloomfield Railroad, between Bedford and Dark Hollow. 6 The earlier section from Dark Hollow to Switz City had been removed in 1935.
Reuse
Monon Trail
The Monon Trail’s development in Indianapolis began in 1995 with a 2.96-mile paved segment connecting 86th Street and Westfield Boulevard in Indianapolis. 8 This initial stretch linked the business areas of 86th Street and Broad Ripple with the Indianapolis Art Center, a YMCA, the White River, and the Central Canal Tow Path.
Work on the subsequent phases began in 1997. 8 The project added 3.55 miles from Westfield Boulevard to Fall Creek Parkway, including a bridge over the parkway. This extension provided access to the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the Fall Creek Greenway. Also, in 1997, a one-mile segment was completed between 86th and 96th streets.
The fourth and fifth phases, built from 2002 to 2004, extended the trail from Fall Creek Parkway to 10th Street. 8 This phase included rehabilitating a bridge over Fall Creek and adding connections to Douglass Park and J. T. V. Hill Park. In March 2021, a bridge over 38th Street eliminated a hazardous crossing.
Farther north, a 5.2-mile segment of the trail opened in Carmel in 2001-02 at a cost of $5.2 million. 12 13 In 2008, the trail was extended into Westfield, providing connections to the Anna Kendall, Little Eagle Creek, and Midland Trace trails. 14 15 In 2020, the trail was completed from 191st and 216th streets in Sheridan. 16
As of 2024, the Monon Trail spans 27 miles of asphalt across Marion and Hamilton counties, from 10th Street in Indianapolis to 236th Street in Sheridan. It connects four parks, nine neighborhoods, and six landmarks and is a component of the Indy Greenways system. It is used by more than 1.3 million people annually. 16 17
The Monon Trail received a Millennial Trail designation from the Federal Trails Program in 1999 and was named a Millennium State Legacy Trail in 2000. 8 In 2002, it achieved National Recreation Trail status.
In northwest Indiana, the Monon Trail spans 4.4 miles, beginning at the Pennsy Greenway in Munster and extending north to the Erie-Lackawanna Trailhead in Hammond. 9 Originally, the trail was entirely within Munster until a 2014 extension connected it to Hammond. 10 This extension included the $1.5 million reconstruction of a circa 1909 bridge over the Little Calumet River. 11
Bloomington Area Trails
After CSX abandoned the Monon line through Bloomington in 2004, the right-of-way was converted into the 3.1-mile B-Line Trail in 2009, running from West Fountain Drive to West Country Club Drive. 3 19 A two-mile extension, the Bloomington Rail Trail, continues south from West Country Club Drive to West Church Lane. In 2019, another southern extension, the Limestone Greenway Trail, was added, following the Monon’s original route from Clear Creek to the Mitigation Property on South Victor Pike. 18 20 The county acquired the land as part of mitigation for the construction of Interstate 69, with the project partially funded by the Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Program grant awarded to Monroe County Government/Parks and Recreation in 2017.
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Sources
- “One of the first.” Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society, 2012.
- “Monon, L&N Roads Act to Merge.” Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 1968.
- “Site Highlight: B-Line Trail in Bloomington.” Indiana Brownfields Program.
- “History Of The MONON.” Monon Railroad Historical Society.
- “Monon Timeline.” Monon Railroad Historical Society.
- Simpson III, Richard M. “Abandoning The Monon.” Indiana Transportation History, 3 Jan. 2020.
- “Clear Creek.” Monon Railroad Historical Society.
- Verderame, Jyoti A. “Monon Trail.” Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Feb. 2021.
- “Monon Trail (Lake County).” TrailLink.
- Ortiz, Anna. “New bike trail leg bridges Munster, Hammond.” Times of Northwest Indiana, 23 Jul. 2014.
- Earnshaw, Rob. “Hammond opens bike, pedestrian bridges.” Times of Northwest Indiana, 7 Jul. 2014.
- Sunkel, Gwen. “In The Park: The Monon Rail-Trail.” Historic Indianapolis, 22 Mar. 2014.
- Price, Nelson. Indianapolis Then & Now. Thunder Bay Press, p. 131.
- “Monon Greenway – Carmel.” Indiana Trails. Greenways Foundation.
- “Touring the trail: Monon Trail advocate, Alyn Bernell, takes ride through a portion of the Monon named after him.” Current in Westfield, 27 Oct. 2015.
- “Monon Trail.” City of Westfield, Indiana.
- “Monon Trail.” City of Indianapolis and Marion County.
- Costello, Becca. “New ‘Limestone Greenway’ Trail South Of Bloomington Expected This Year.” Indiana Public Media.
- “2017 Indiana Trails Study – B-Line Trail in Bloomington, Indiana.” Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, 2018.
- “Limestone Greenway.” Monroe County, Indiana, 2024.
- “A Monon Segment Up for Abandonment by CSXT.” CSXT Historical Society, vol. 7, no. 2, 2019, pp. 3-26.
You should add information about the Monon South Trail, which extends over the abandoned main line from Mitchell to New Albany.