MTRA Old 96th Avenue Bridge

In 1852, the Chicago and Rock Island Rail Road Company (C&RI) constructed 40 miles of new railroad, extending from Chicago, Illinois to Joliet, Illinois.  The following year, the railroad constructed an additional 119 miles of new railroad to Geneseo, followed by an additional 22 miles to Rock Island, Illinois in 1854.  Work was continued in 1856 by the Mississippi and Missouri Rail Road Company (M&M), which constructed a bridge across the Mississippi River to Davenport, Iowa and continued the line westwards across Iowa. In 1866, the two railroads were consolidated into the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, which was renamed the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway (Rock Island) in 1880.  The line between Chicago and Joliet was double tracked prior to 1874, due to the heavy use.  The Rock Island constructed and acquired a large network of railroads, primarily in Iowa during the late 1880s.  This line served as a principal mainline for the railroad, connecting Chicago to the network of railroad lines west of the Mississippi River. 

In approximately 1892, the remainder of the line would be double tracked, and in the late 1890s, additional tracks were added in Chicago.  Track elevation projects within Chicago were made throughout the late 1890s and early 1900s. Throughout the 20th Century, the line continued to be a critical component of the Rock Island system.  In 1913, the Rock Island elevated the line through Joliet.  The Rock Island was a poor railroad, facing financial trouble regularly and often in bankruptcy.  This route hosted passenger trains known as "Rockets" for many years, and the Rock Island offered a suburban commuter service over the line.  After World War II, the Rock Island struggled to survive, proposing mergers and deferring maintenance on their routes.  By 1964, the Rock Island began attempts to merge with Union Pacific, and restructure railroads west of the Mississippi River.  This merger was eventually denied, and Rock Island turned its last profit in 1965. 

In the mid-1970s, the railroad was in serious decline.  The railroad received loans to attempt to fix slow orders, received new equipment and turn a profit.  By 1978, the railroad came close to profit, but creditors were lobbying for a complete shutdown of the Rock Island.  During the fall of 1979, a strike crippled the railroad, and by January of 1980, the entire system was ordered to be shut down and liquidated.  Many of the lines and equipment were scrapped.  Profitable sections of railroad were prepared for sale.  Between Joliet and Chicago, the line would be sold to the Regional Transportation Authority.  From Joliet to Utica, the line would be sold to the Chessie System, which became part of CSX Transportation in 1986.  The portion from Utica into Iowa would be sold to the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS).  Today, the Chicago to Joliet segment is operated by Metra as the Rock Island District; CSX operates the line between Joliet and Utica as the New Rock Subdivision; and IAIS operates the Rock Island to Utica section as the Blue Island Subdivision.