The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company (GTW), with reporting mark GTW, was originally an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later becoming part of the Canadian National Railway (CN). It operated primarily in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Following a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad came under the control of CN's subsidiary holding company, known as the Grand Trunk Corporation. GTW's routes are integrated into CN's Michigan Division. Its mainline, which extends from Chicago to Port Huron, Michigan, serves as a vital connection between railroad interchanges in Chicago and rail lines in eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States. Due to its extensive trackage in Detroit and across southern Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western played a critical role in the automotive industry, facilitating the transportation of parts and automobiles from manufacturing plants.
Early History[]
The roots of the Grand Trunk Western can be traced back to a collection of 19th-century Michigan rail lines, including the Bay City Terminal Railway, Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad, Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway, Chicago, Kalamazoo and Saginaw Railway, Chicago and Kalamazoo Terminal Railroad, Chicago and Lake Huron, Chicago and Northeastern, Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway, Detroit and Huron Railway, Grand Rapids Terminal Railroad, Michigan Air Line Railroad, Muskegon Railway and Navigation Company, Peninsular Railway of Michigan and Indiana, Pontiac, Oxford and Northern Railroad, and Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway.
Mainline Development[]
Grand Trunk Western initially emerged as a route for the Grand Trunk Railway to establish a connection between its line and Chicago through lower Michigan. In 1859, the Grand Trunk Railway completed its route to Sarnia, Canada West, and commenced a ferry service across the St. Clair River to Port Huron. GTR leased the Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad to reach Detroit and then ran through the Michigan Central Railroad's line from Detroit into Chicago. This connection was notable as it marked the location where a young Thomas Edison held his first job as a newsboy and candy seller onboard passenger trains.
Grand Trunk gradually expanded its own route into Chicago from Valparaiso, Indiana, and incorporated the entire line from Port Huron to Chicago as the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway in 1880. Over the next two decades, Grand Trunk acquired additional branch lines in Michigan, including the Michigan Air Line Railway, Detroit Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway, Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway, Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw Railroad, and more.
Western Division[]
By 1900, Grand Trunk had consolidated its operations under a subsidiary company named the Grand Trunk Western Railway Company. This name reflected the rail lines located west of the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, collectively known as its Western Division. This extensive network of trackage connected major manufacturing cities in lower Michigan.
Grand Trunk Western extended its reach into Ohio with shared ownership of the Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad in 1902. It also became involved in the operation of the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad, a passenger and express car-switching service at Chicago's Dearborn Station, and participated in the Belt Railway Company of Chicago, connecting all rail lines in the Chicago area.
Integration with Canadian National[]
In 1919, Grand Trunk Western's parent company, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, faced financial difficulties due to its ownership of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Consequently, the Canadian government nationalized several struggling Canadian rail companies in 1923 and merged them into a new government-owned entity, the Canadian National Railway. Grand Trunk Western became a subsidiary of this new entity and was reconstituted as the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company on November 1, 1928.
River Tunnel[]
Grand Trunk Railway and later Grand Trunk Western sought to expedite rail service between Port Huron and Sarnia by constructing the world's first international submarine rail tunnel under the St. Clair River. Completed in 1891, this St. Clair Tunnel allowed Grand Trunk to discontinue its ferry service across the river. In 1992, Canadian National began constructing a new, larger tunnel next to the original tunnel to accommodate double-stacked intermodal containers and tri-level auto carriers used in freight train service. The new tunnel was completed in 1994. GTW also gained trackage rights in 1975 to use Penn Central's Detroit River Tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Eventually, CN sold its share of the Detroit tunnel in 2000 after the new St. Clair tunnel was completed.
Corporate Changes and Efficiency[]
The 1970s brought significant changes to Grand Trunk Western. A new holding company, the Grand Trunk Corporation, was established by CN in 1971 to manage GTW and make the railroad more financially sound. This marked a shift in autonomy from CN, and GTW started receiving its locomotives in a distinctive bright-blue, red/orange, and white scheme to emphasize its independence. The company also adopted the slogan "The Good Track Road" in 1975 to highlight its commitment to track maintenance and safety.
Expansion and Downsizing[]
In the 1970s and 1980s, GTW pursued opportunities to expand and improve its efficiency. It acquired the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad in 1980, increasing its trackage around Detroit's industrial areas and providing access to rail interchanges in Cincinnati, Ohio. GTW's bid for the Milwaukee Road in the 1980s was unsuccessful, but it continued to improve its efficiency by consolidating operations, divesting underperforming routes, and reducing its workforce through negotiated union work rule changes.
By 1998, GTW had abandoned or sold various routes and facilities, streamlined its operations, and enhanced locomotive performance through a rebuilding program. It shifted focus to the intermodal freight business, introduced intermodal transfer yards, and downsized engine terminals and maintenance facilities in various locations.
Canadian National (CN) introduced a corporate rebranding initiative in December 1991, marking the launch of the CN North America brand. This program aimed to consolidate all CN-owned U.S. railroads under a unified identity. Among the affected railroads was Grand Trunk Western. Under this transformation, the familiar images of these railways, including GTW, were replaced with the CN logo and name. Despite the visual changes, each railroad's locomotives retained their original reporting marks. While GTW locomotives would eventually sport CN's logo and adopt a black, red-orange, and white paint scheme, the original blue color scheme and logo of GTW continued to adorn rolling stock and locomotives during a transitional period.
In addition to the visual rebranding, CN gradually assumed managerial and operational control of GTW, shifting responsibilities from Detroit to CN's headquarters in Montreal. GTW maintained certain office and dispatching functions from offices located in suburban Troy, Michigan.
The Grand Trunk Corporation, now officially headquartered within CN in Montreal, became the holding company for most of CN's U.S. properties. These included Grand Trunk Western, Illinois Central, Wisconsin Central, Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific, and Great Lakes Transportation, which encompassed the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad and the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway. Notably, the Association of American Railroads designated the Grand Trunk Corporation as a single, non-operating Class I Railroad from 2002 onwards. Grand Trunk Western still retained its corporate existence but could be regarded as more of a paper company. In CN's corporate communications, GTW's routes and operations were referred to as the former Grand Trunk Western territory.