Indianapolis Union Railway
| Reporting mark | IU |
|---|---|
| Locale | Indiana |
| Dates of operation | 1850– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana |
The Indianapolis Union Railway Company (reporting mark IU), is a terminal railroad operating in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was organized on May 31, 1850, as the Union Track Railway Company by the presidents of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad Company (M&I), the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad Company (TH&R), and the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad Company (I&B) for the purposes of establishing and operating joint terminal facilities in Indiana's capital city. The name of the company was changed to its present one on August 12, 1853. The next month, on September 20, Indianapolis Union Station opened its doors, becoming the very first union railroad station in the world. Since 1999, the company has been owned and operated by CSX.
The Union Track Railway Company was organized on May 31, 1850. Later that year, 1.60 miles (2.57 km) of main line track were turned over to the company; 0.64 miles (1.03 km) from the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad Company (P&I) and 0.96 miles (1.54 km) that had been jointly constructed by the three founding lines (the M&I, the TH&R, and the I&B). On November 25, 1852, the company's directors adopted a resolution by which other railroads might be admitted into the group. The Indiana Central Railway Company (IndC) and the Lawrenceburg and Upper Mississippi Railroad Company (L&UM) were so included shortly thereafter.
On August 12, 1853, the company renamed itself the Indianapolis Union Railway Company, a name it has kept ever since in spite of the ever-changing names of its various owning lines.
On September 20, 1883, a new joint ownership, lease, and operations agreement was reached and entered into by the participating railroads. This date also marked the 30th anniversary of the opening of Indianapolis' original Union Station.
On March 14, 1884, the property of Union Station and 1.11 miles (1.79 km) of main line track were conveyed to the Indianapolis Union Railway by deed. This included 0.87 miles (1.40 km) that had been jointly constructed by the three founding lines, and an additional 0.24 miles (0.39 km) from the P&I. That same day, all properties that had been used but not deeded under a November 19, 1872 agreement were ceded by joint deed to the IU by the following companies: the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad Company (successor to the M&I), the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Rail Road Company (successor to the TH&R), the Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company (C&StL), and the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago Railway Company (CIStL&C).
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