The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (reporting mark EJE) was a Class II railroad, operating between Waukegan, Illinois and Gary Indiana. The railroad served as a link between Class I railroads traveling to and from Chicago, although it operated almost entirely within the city's suburbs, and only entered Chicago where it served the U.S. Steel South Works on the shores of Lake Michigan. Nicknames for the railroad included "The J" and "The Chicago Outer Belt Line". At the end of 1970, the EJ&E operated 205 miles of road on 985 miles of track, carrying 848 million ton-miles of revenue freight in that year alone.