The Railroads of Will County
Chicago & Eastern Illinois
Restored C&EI depot in Beecher, Illinois
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The Chicago, Danville & Vincennes was completed across Crete and Washington Townships in 1870 and provided direct service between Chicago, Danville, Evansville, and St. Louis. Stations were established in the Will County communities of Steger, Crete, Lincoln Fields, Goodenow, and Beecher. The Chicago, Danville & Vincennes was consolidated with two other railroads in 1881 to form the Chicago & Eastern Illinois. The C&EI was best known as a coal railroad, hauling coal to Chicago from mines in central Illinois and west central Indiana.
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In 1967, the Missouri Pacific assumed control of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois. In 1969, the Louisville & Nashville purchased the portion of the C&EI between Woodland Junction and Evansville, Indiana along with trackage rights between Woodland Junction through Will County to Chicago. Passenger service between Chicago and Danville was discontinued in 1971. In 1976, what remained of the C&EI was merged into the Missouri Pacific.
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The Missouri Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1982, while the Louisville & Nashville merged with Seaboard Coast Line in 1982 and then joined the Chessie System in 1986 to become CSX. During certain stretches of the State of Illinois' project to update the former Chicago & Alton/Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Chicago-St. Louis line to "High Speed Rail," the Amtrak "Texas Eagle" would be temporarily detoured over the former C&EI. Today, both Union Pacific and CSX operate freight trains on this line. |
Northbound CSX on former C&EI in Beecher, Illinois
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