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<p>In 1880, the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad constructed a new railroad line, extending 20 miles from Chicago to Hammond, Indiana. The same year, the railroad completed an additional 7.5 miles from Hammond Junction to Dolton, Illinois. An additional 18.6 miles of track within the City of Chicago, primarily near South Chicago, would be constructed between 1882 and 1883. The C&WI was initially leased by the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway (later Wabash Railroad), the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway (later Grand Trunk Western Railroad), and the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, which connected to the C&WI at Dolton. The Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway (Monon) and the Chicago and Atlantic Railway (Erie) later leased the railroad as well.</p><p><br>The C&WI provided several railroads with a direct connection to Dearborn Station. These railroads had not constructed terminal facilities within the City of Chicago, and required a way to access terminals in the city. In addition, the C&WI offered a commuter service between Chicago and Dolton, which was discotinued in 1963. The Dearborn Station closed in 1971, when Amtrak consolidated all passenger service to the Chicago Union Station. After the closure of Dearborn Station, the company mainly acted as a belt railway for freight services. The railroad would be dissolved in 1994, and the line sold. Between 80th Street and Dolton, the line would be sold to Union Pacific, successor of the C&EI. Between 81st Street and 110th Street, the line is now owned by Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). Portions of the line between Pullman Junction and the State Line were abandoned in the 1990s, as NS operated a parallel line. Metra owns the segment between 74th Street and 21st Street, and operates the Southwest Service over the route. <br></p>
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