Indiana Harbor Belt and other "terminal railroads"

[Puddlejumper]

One reason for the existence of terminal railroads that is not mentioned is this: When multiple railroads serve the same geographical area they are forced to either own there own trackage in that area, creating multiple duplications of rail routings by several carriers, or they are forced to rely on competing roads to forward their cars for them to their destination, in good faith on their behalf. Sometimes a road might be somewhat lackadaisical in forwarding a competing roads cars, putting less importance on the competing shipments than their own. Even if exercising trackage rights, a dispatcher on a competing road may give priority to home road trains. A terminal railroad that is owned in part by each parent railroad, gives equal treatment to all cars regardless of which home road they come from, or where they are going.