The McKeesport Connecting Railroad was incorporated March 20, 1889 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the purpose of constructing and operating a railroad from McKeesport to Port Perry, PA. Originally the capital stock was in the name of National Tube Works of New Jersey: on December 14, 1942 the total shares were transferred to U.S. Steel.

In 1988, the McKeesport Connecting Railroad became part of Transtar, Inc. Transtar is a privately-held transportation holding company with principal operations in railroad freight transportation, dock operations and inland river barging. The Transtar subsidiary companies were formed over the years to meet the transportation needs of various steel making facilities that were the predecessors of today's United States Steel Corporation. Prior to 1989, the Transtar companies were wholly owned transportation subsidiaries of United States Steel Corporation. In December, 1988, these transportation companies were acquired by a new holding company, Transtar, Inc.

The Transtar companies have a long business history, more than 100 years in many cases. The companies provide a broad mix of specialized transportation services, by rail and water. In addition, some of the rail and water carriers own and operate bulk commodity docks and port facilities. Transtar's core business is serving the transportation needs of the steel, utility, mining, and chemical industries, although other business supplements this core.