Indiana Railroad - End of Service

End of Service

With the abandonment of its two principle remaining lines in January 1941, the IR was essentially gone. The name IR ceased to be used and the one remaining stub of serviceable trackage, between Indianapolis and Seymour along the old IPS (Interstate) to Cincinnati route, continued to be operated under the Public Service Company of Indiana name. This service was operated with just two of the high-speed cars (the balance were scrapped at Anderson shops in 1941), running just one round-trip a day to fulfill franchise obligations.

Even this fragment of interurban service did not last long. On September 8, 1941, one of the two high-speed cars still in use met the one remaining work car in a head-on collision at speed. The high speed car had stalled, and the other was sent from Indianapolis to investigate. But the first car had recovered and proceeded, leading to a head on collision and injured passengers and crew. The operator of the high speed car eventually died, as did one of the passengers. The Indianapolis to Seymour service immediately stopped and soon the track was removed. This was the end of the Indiana Railroad. It was an ignominious end to a great interurban system created ten years earlier to use and make profitable the former widespread network of 1920s Indiana interurbans. Had the Great Depression not occurred, the IR would have survived into WW2 and benefited from increased passenger and freight activity, but eveventually it would have faced the reality of competing transportation modes.