This abandoned railway began as part of the Danville, Urbana, Bloomington and Pekin Railroad, chartered in 1866, which built a line between Bloomington and Champaign/Urbana. Before the line was even completed, the DUB&P itself merged with another line to become the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway 3 years later on July 20, 1869. The line was completed shortly thereafter.
The line went through many owners over the years as railroad companies merged and bought out others. Previous owners include the CCC&StL, NYC, PC, and Conrail; it eventually came under the control of the Peoria & Eastern, and finally of the Norfolk Southern, who filed for abandonment for this portion of the line west of Mansfield in March of 2004.
Today, the tracks are still present along the route, but are in disrepair and overgrown with vegetation. The remainder of the line between Mansfield and Champaign is seldom used for local freights of the Norfolk Southern.