Freight today: three railroads

2026 · VERIFIED NOVEMBER 2026

Norfolk Southern: The Chicago Line — the Lake Shore road of 1851 — remains the city's heavy railroad: two main tracks, CTC, dispatched as part of the Chicago–Cleveland corridor, carrying the corridor's freight and Amtrak's trains. Mishawaka's own control point stands at mile 432.7; CP 437, at 437.5 toward South Bend, is the junction with Canadian National.

Canadian National: The Grand Trunk's line is Canadian National's South Bend Subdivision, single track along the city's north side between South Bend and Granger, crossed by the two underpasses of the crossings entry. It carries the road's Chicago–Toronto freight through Mishawaka as it has since the 1870s, without a stop.

The Elkhart & Western: The short line works from Elkhart to Currant Road on Mishawaka's northeast side, interchanging with Norfolk Southern at Elkhart; its parent since 14 September 2022 is Patriot Rail. Freight on the Elkhart line is mainly plastic flakes, lumber, paper and cement, and a railfan-compiled customer list carries a Mishawaka transload at Currant Road, marked unsure by its own compiler — printed here at that strength.

The connection that was not rebuilt: Because the Elkhart & Western's historic Grand Trunk connection at Mishawaka was cut under Conrail, the short line's only Class I interchange is at Elkhart. In 2026 the road proposed to restore the western connection — a new link between its Mishawaka end and Canadian National, reported as the Capital Avenue rail line expansion project. Under community pressure the proposal was ended in June 2026; it is printed here as what it is — a project proposed and ended, not built — and the disconnection of the Conrail years stands as the map's present fact.

Sources:

1. ChicagoRailFan, Norfolk Southern Chicago Line operating record — two tracks, CTC; Mishawaka control point 432.7; CP 437 (junction, Canadian National) at 437.5; Amtrak over the line.
2. South Bend's Trains section — Canadian National's South Bend Subdivision, Battle Creek to Griffith, the name in the Interstate Commerce Commission's record from 1932.
3. The Elkhart and Western Railroad's profile as compiled — the Elkhart Branch to Currant Road in Mishawaka; freight of plastic flakes, lumber, paper and cement; Patriot Rail's acquisition completed 14 September 2022.
4. Railroadfan.com, Elkhart & Western customer list — the Currant Road "Mishawaka Transload" carried as unsure by its compiler (printed at that strength).
5. Shelby Whitaker, "Proposed Capital Avenue rail line expansion project ends" (2 June 2026), as cited in the road's compiled record — the E&W–Canadian National connection proposal in Mishawaka defeated under community pressure in June 2026.
6. The Financial World, 14 July 1919 — Dodge's Mishawaka plants "excellently located on the Lake Shore Line of the New York Central Railroad" (the firm's course is Businesses').