The CRANDIC began operations in 1904, providing
interurban service between
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and
Iowa City, Iowa. In 1914, a line extending to
Lisbon, Iowa, was completed but was abandoned in 1928. In 1939, the CRANDIC purchased six high-speed light weight interurban cars (
Red Devils) from the recently abandoned
Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad interurban, leading to the popular saying "Swing and Sway the CRANDIC Way", referring to the motion caused by high-speed running on the CRANDIC's uneven track. For similar reasons, it was also known as the "Vomit Comet". In 1953, the railroad ran its last
passenger train, a charter by
railfans. While freight was important to the CRANDIC in the early years, it was better known for its passenger interurban operations. In 1952, the line operated 12 trains in each direction per day (8 on Sundays), & the journey took 47–58 minutes. Operating hours were from 5 am (8/9 am Sundays) to 12/1 am (1/2 am Monday mornings). After passenger operations were discontinued in 1953, freight became the primary source of traffic for the CRANDIC. At the same time, the electric-powered locomotives were replaced with
diesel-electric models. The customer base in Cedar Rapids continued to expand with the population in the area. In 1980, with the demise of the
Milwaukee Road, CRANDIC purchased the Cedar Rapids to
Homestead, Iowa, portion of the Milwaukee. Also in that year, an Iowa City to
Hills, Iowa portion of the former
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was acquired by the CRANDIC. In 1996, a large locomotive and car shop was built in the southwest side of Cedar Rapids as a replacement for the original Rockford Road facility. In late 2004, the CRANDIC chose to concentrate on its major focus, switching customers along its rail lines. A daily road freight between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City previously operated by the CRANDIC was turned over to the
Iowa Interstate Railroad in August 2004. In 2005,
Railway Age magazine named the CRANDIC its
Short Line Railroad of the Year. Also in 2005, CRANDIC opened its third shop complex. The newest shops are located on the site of the original CRANDIC shops. The previous shops complex was sold to
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) for use as a railcar cleaning and repair shop for ADM's large fleet of
rolling stock. In 2013, CRANDIC took delivery of 8 new L4-1500XD-M switcher locomotives built by
RELCO in Albia, Iowa. Each locomotive was mated to a
slug unit; due to the railroad's tight curves, constructed when the railroad was still an
interurban, six-axle locomotives cannot be employed. The locomotives were numbered 201-208 and the slugs were numbered 301-308.
Proposed passenger service Plans to reintroduce
passenger rail service along an 8.2 miles (13.2 km) segment of the CRANDIC corridor between
North Liberty,
Coralville, and the
University of Iowa campus in
Iowa City emerged in the early 2010s. The preferred alternative called for a "Pop-Up Metro" pilot service that would utilize
British Rail Class 230 battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) repurposed from former
London Underground D78 Stock. If funded, pilot service would begin in 2026. The proposal was canceled in January 2025. ==References==