The Keokuk Junction Railway Co. , is a Class III railroad in the U.S. states of Illinois and Iowa.Surface Transportation Board Decision, STB Finance Docket No. 34397: Keokuk Junction Railway Company–Alternative Rail Service–Line of Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway Corporation, decided October 31, 2003, page 1 It was formerly a subsidiary of Pioneer Railcorp, but now operates as a subsidiary of Patriot Rail Company.
History
The present company was incorporated in 1980 as the Keokuk Northern Real Estate Co., formed in May 1980 to purchase of Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) yard trackage in Keokuk, Iowa. In September 1981, the KJRY obtained the trackage, and they quickly commenced operations. In 1986, the KJRY purchased of trackage between Keokuk and La Harpe, Illinois, from the Santa Fe Railway, formerly owned by the Toledo, Peoria and Western (TP&W). The KJRY began serving a corn-processing plant in Keokuk owned by Roquette America, which became the railway's primary source of income.
In 1995, when the Santa Fe merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) to create BNSF, the KJRY requested trackage rights over BNSF to interchange with Norfolk Southern (NS) in Hannibal, Missouri, and the Southern Pacific (SP) in West Quincy, Missouri, but they were denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). In March 1996, the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the ICC's successor, approved Pioneer Railcorp's purchase of 66.62% of the KJRY's shares from majority shareholder John Warfield, making the KJRY their subsidiary.
The KJRY subsequently expanded their operations with additional trackage acquisitions; in February 2005, they purchased the TP&W's western section between La Harpe to Peoria, Illinois; in December 2011, the KJRY purchased of trackage between La Harpe and Lomax, Illinois, and they were granted trackage rights between Lomax and Fort Madison, Iowa. On July 31, 2019, Brookhaven Rail Partners acquired Pioneer Railcorp, gaining ownership of the KJRY in the process.
Connections BNSF — Keokuk, Iowa, Bushnell, Illinois, and Peoria, Illinois Canadian National Railway — Peoria, Illinois Illinois and Midland Railroad — Peoria, Illinois Iowa Interstate Railroad — Peoria, Illinois Norfolk Southern Railway — Peoria, Illinois Pioneer Industrial Railway — Peoria, Illinois Tazewell and Peoria Railroad — Peoria, Illinois Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway — Hollis, Illinois Union Pacific Railroad — Fort Madison, Iowa and Peoria, Illinois
References
External links
A Tribute to the Keokuk Junction Railway — information about the KJRY prior to 1996 purchase