Taken_on_Eads_Bridge_May_26,_1896_2014-05-25_10-09

The East St. Louis and Suburban Railway was an interurban railroad that operated in Illinois.

Route

It served Madison County, St. Clair County, and

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as part of the great "East Side Electric Railway System." It stretched from the Eads Bridge, which crossed the Mississippi River from East St. Louis, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri, east to Lebanon, and from Alton, to

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

. This railroad moved commuters and express freight among various towns in the East St. Louis area including Belleville, Collinsville, Waterloo,

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, Granite City, National City, French Village, and O'Fallon.

History

The system expanded during the industrial growth of St. Louis in the late 19th century, spilling across the Mississippi River to the cheaper land on the Illinois side. From 1870 to 1910, East St. Louis and the surrounding area attracted industrial development to the transportation hub. During this period, the population of East St. Louis nearly doubled each decade. Amidst this growth, the East St. Louis and Suburban grew by acquiring shorter interurban lines. The

Illinois Traction System The Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (reporting marks "ITC"), known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from ...

reached St. Louis via trackage rights on the East St. Louis and Suburban over the Eads Bridge until the completion of the McKinley Bridge. The Illinois Terminal Railroad later purchased the Alton Line. The East St. Louis and Suburban shared a car barn on Ridge Ave. in East St. Louis with the St. Louis and Belleville Electric Railway, which was also part of the Great East Side Electric Railway System. The system was abandoned sectionally during the 1930s. {{DEFAULTSORT:East Saint Louis Suburban Railway Defunct Illinois railroads Defunct Missouri railroads Interurban railways in Illinois Interurban railways in Missouri Streetcars in Greater St. Louis Electric railways in Illinois