Reporting mark IHB Headquarters Indiana, United States | Dates of operation 1896–present Founded 1896 | |
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Locale northwest Indiana, suburbs of Chicago, Illinois Track gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (reporting mark IHB) is a Class III railroad in the United States.
Contents
Corporate ownership
The IHB is an independent railroad which is jointly owned by Conrail Shared Assets Operations (51%) and Canadian Pacific Railway (49%). These shareholders trace their ownership stake in IHB to previous mergers and acquisitions in the railroad industry. This came from Conrail, which had owned a 51% controlling interest. Conrail's ownership is traced back to the Penn Central Transportation Company and prior to that, the New York Central Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad. Canadian Pacific's ownership is through its subsidiary, the Soo Line Railroad, which had inherited it from the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.
Route and facilities
The line comprises 320 miles (510 km) of track—30 miles of single mainline track, 24 miles (39 km) of double-main track and 266 miles (428 km) of additional yard and side track—starting northwest of Chicago in Franklin Park, Illinois, traveling southeast around the city to its headquarters in Hammond, Indiana.
The line's largest yard, [Blue Island] is located in Riverdale, Illinois with other yards in Burnham, Calumet City, Alsip, Argo, LaGrange, Rose and Franklin Park. In [Indiana] Whiting, Hammond, Michigan Ave, Lake Front in East Chicago. The Gibson Yard located in [Hammond], is arguably the largest auto-switching operation in the United States.
Throughout the 1970s and 1990s to the present, Indiana Harbor Belt operated an extensive interlocking tower system including: East End, Osbourne, Calumet, State Line, Gibson, Stewart Avenue, Graselli, 55th Street and Argo towers with switch tenders at North Harvey and Columbia Avenue in Hammond. They later took over State Line tower from the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad.
Police
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Police Department consists of 10 sworn and dedicated Officers, who are directed by Chief of Police Ray Ramirez. The IHB Police Department operates under the authority of both state and federal statutes. The IHB Police serve to protect IHB employees, property, and assets on or about IHB property in the states of Indiana and Illinois.