The Great Lakes State is steeped in railroad history with a number of historic railroads still operating there. If you are interested in Michigan railroad jobs four of the seven Class I operate through the state (CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific) while Amtrak's "Michigan Services" serve a number of cities, connecting them with Chicago. Additionally, Class II, regionals Indiana & Ohio and Great Lakes Central serve Michigan along with more than a dozen Class III, shortlines. To get a better of idea of the railroads which serve the state and the commodities they normally haul year-to-year please click here.
If railroading is not very familiar to you, you may want to take the time to learn much more about it before deciding if a career in the industry is right for you. The idea of being a railroader is often glorified by Hollywood and the general public as being thrilling, exhilarating, and entertaining. While this is sometimes the case for the most part it has been extremely exaggerated. In truth, working in maintenance or transportation can be physically demanding requiring one to work very long hours for days at a time, particularly on a Class I railroad. This means being away from home and your family for days at a time. Of course, Class Is pay very well and also offer excellent benefits and retirement. In the end, railroading something you will have to decide if its right for you.
If you are a college student or plan to attend after you graduate high school and are interested in the management of business studies you may want to see what some Class Is have to offer in terms of internships and graduate programs. Many offer these during the summer months although you will need to visit their career pages (listed below) to find out more. Lastly, for more information regarding Michigan railroad jobs, please visit the links below or the railroad's individual contact information concerning possible openings. Finally, please do not contact me about potential job openings as I cannot provide any additional information than what I have already included here. I often receive e-mails about this and I usually simply tell folks to contact a railroad directly.
Also, to search for Michigan railroad jobs directly please use the below search box from Indeed.com.
Great Lakes Central Railroad: The Great Lakes Central Railroad, owned by Federated Railways, operates a 400 mile regional system in central and northern Michigan. To learn about possible job openings please visit their website.
Indiana & Ohio Railway: The Indiana & Ohio Railway is part of RailAmerica's family of shortlines, operating nearly 600 miles of trackage in Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and extreme southern Michigan. For information about possible employment opportunities please click here.
Shortline, Class III Railroads
Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road: The A&B operates about 20 miles of track between Adrian and Riga. To the general public the railroad is also well known for its popular dinner trains and excursions. To contact them regarding openings please click here to visit their website.
Ann Arbor Railroad: Michigan's most famous railroad, the Ann Arbor dates back to the late 19th century serving the heart of the state along a direct main line between northwestern Ohio and Frankfort. Today, the railroad connects only Ann Arbor with Toledo, Ohio.
Charlotte Southern Railroad: This railroad is owned by the Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road and serves the area around Charlotte. For contact information please visit the A&B's website listed above.
Delray Connecting Railroad: This historic railroad has been in operation since 1904 and today is owned by Transtar serving Michigan's Zug Island. For contact information please visit Transtar's website.
Detroit Connecting Railroad: Another railroad owned by the Adrian & Blissfield, the Detroit Connecting Railroad operates just a 2 1/4-mile section of track near Detroit. For contact information about any potential job opportunities please visit the A&B's website listed above.
Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad: The E&LS has been in operation since 1978 operating ex-Milwaukee Road trackage in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Today, it serves a 235-mile system that includes a wide range of traffic. To contact them about employment please visit their website.
Grand Elk Railroad: The Grand Elk Railroad is a Watco Companies shortline and operates more than 120 miles of trackage between Grand Rapids and Elkhart, Indiana. For contact information please click here.
Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad: The Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad is a RailAmerica shortline operating right around its namesake city. For contact information please click here.
Huron & Eastern Railway: Around RailAmerica property, this large shortline railroad operates nearly 400 miles of trakage east of Saginaw. For contact information please visit their web page.
Indiana Northeastern Railroad: This privately owned railroad operates an extensive shortline system in southern Michigan, northeastern Indiana, and northwestern Ohio. For contact information concerning employment opportunities please visit their website.
Lake State Railway: This shortline railroad operates more than 200 miles of track in the northern reaches of Michigan on property originally owned by the historic Detroit & Mackinac Railway. For contact information please click here to visit their website.
Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad: The LS&I is a historic 100+ year-old ore-hauling railroad operating in the state's Upper Peninsula on about 25 miles of trackage. To contact the railroad; 105 East Washington Street, Marquette Michigan 49855-4385. Phone 906-228-7979.
Lapeer Industrial Railroad: This very small industrial railroad operates just over one mile of track performing switching duties near the town of Lapeer. For contact information; 155 South Saginaw Street, Lapeer, Michigan 48446-2603. Phone 810-245-5877.
Marquette Rail: This shortline is a privately owned railroad serving Grand Rapids, Ludington, and Manistee on a 130-mile system originally built by the Pere Marquette Railway. For contact information please click here to visit their website.
Michigan Air-Line Railway: This railroad, owned by Railmark Holdings, Inc., operates between West Bloomfield and Wixom, connecting with CSX. For contact information please visit their website.
Michigan Shore Railroad: This shortline is another owned by RailAmerica, operating just north of Grand Rapids. For contact information please click here.
Michigan Southern Railroad: This railroad is owned and operated by Pioneer Rail Corporation, with offices in White Pigeon. For contact information please click here.
Mid-Michigan Railroad: The Mid-Michigan Railroad is another RailAmerica property, operating nearly 200 miles of track west of Saginaw. For contact information about job openings please click here.
Saginaw Bay Southern Railway: Owned by the Lake State Railway this shortline operates near Saginaw on former Detroit & Mackinac property. For contact information please visit the Lake State's website listed above.
West Michigan Railroad: Another Pioneer Rail Corp shortline, the West Michigan Railroad operates 15 miles of track near Paw Paw connecting with CSX. For contact information please click here.
For more information about shortline railroads that serve Michigan please click here to visit the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association's website.
Finally, if a career in railroading is right for you but you would like to learn more about what it takes to work in the industry you might want to consider the book Working on the Railroad from noted author Brian Solomon. Solomon's book details the history of working in the railroad industry and the difficulties and hardship employees faced back then as well as today. After reading this book you should have no doubts about whether working in the industry is something you are truly interested in. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.
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