In 1856, the
Illinois General Assembly issued a charter for the
Joliet and Chicago Railroad, which was to run parallel to the existing
Illinois and Michigan Canal connecting the two cities. Illinois governor
Joel Matteson believed the success of the venture depended on it becoming the Chicago extension of the existing
Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad from Joliet, and hired that railroad to first survey, and then to build the new line. Construction began in June 1857, reaching
Lockport in October. The first service on the completed line reached Chicago on March 18, 1858. The line was permanently leased to the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis in 1864.{{cite web In the 20th century, the subdivision progressively came under the control of larger railroads due to mergers. Between 1931 and 1942, the Chicago & Alton fell under the control of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In 1947, the Alton, together with its Joliet Subdivision, was merged into the
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, which was in turn merged into the
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in 1972. In 1987, most of the former Alton Railroad route, from Joliet to St Louis, was purchased by the newly formed
Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway, leaving only the Joliet Subdivision with the Illinois Central.{{cite web == Passenger Service ==