Fort Madison, Iowa – BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision Train Camera

Virtual Railfan's LIVE train cameras capture trains on BNSF's Chillicothe Sub from the Fort Madison Marina as they cross the Mississippi River via the historic Fort Madison Swing Bridge. Completed in 1927, this mile-long engineering marvel features a 525-foot swing span — the longest of its kind at the time — carrying two railway tracks below and a two-lane roadway above. The bridge, manned 24/7, opens over 2,000 times a year for river traffic, which has priority per US Coast Guard regulations.

The BNSF Chillicothe Sub, part of the Southern Transcon, is a key freight corridor, also hosting Amtrak's Southwest Chief, which stops daily at the historic Fort Madison Depot. Union Pacific has trackage rights on this line, adding to the traffic mix. Also visible is the BNSF Hannibal Sub, or "K-Line," a single-track route linking Burlington, IA, and St. Louis, MO. Together, both subdivisions see around 65 trains per day.

This fixed camera captures the Marina West view, offering a unique perspective of one of America's most historically significant railroad bridges in active daily use. Watch Amtrak passenger trains and BNSF freight movements cross this engineering landmark while river traffic and road vehicles share this multi-modal crossing. The Kingsley Inn, the camera's host, is located nearby: https://www.kingsley-inn.com