The railroad has been central to New Richmond’s history from the beginning. The first railroad bridge crossing the Kalamazoo River at New Richmond was completed in 1871 for the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad and remained in service until just after the turn of the 20th century, when the current railroad bridge was constructed. Completed in 1907, the existing bridge is a metal deck and girder bridge built by the American Bridge Company of New York City, New York. Like the parallel New Richmond Bridge (57th St. Bridge), it was designed as a swing bridge so riverboat traffic could move up and down the Kalamazoo River. A swing bridge has a section that pivots to open the span when needed, rotating on an axle fixed to a pier in the middle of the river, and this swing portion is used for the passage of freighter traffic. The mechanical components of this bridge’s swing mechanism have long since been removed, but an extra pier still reveals its past as the swing pier, and the main gear once used to turn the bridge is also visible. Today the rail line is owned by CSX Transportation and remains very active, with 20 to 30 trains crossing each day. Because this crossing passes through the Kalamazoo River Valley, trains typically move quite slowly as they approach the river.