Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Michigan may lose 2 Amtrak lines in 2010

30. June 2009 • Matt Hampel
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In the post on the “hydrogen superhighway,” Joel Batterman notes that the State of Michigan may cut funding to the Pere Marquette and Blue Water trains. The Pere Marquette has service between Grand Rapids and Chicago; the Blue Water, between Port Huron and Chicago. Here’s a PDF with information on the planned shutdown and what you can do about it. The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers has more information.

In other news, I emailed Amtrak asking for information on any improvements in progress or planned for the Wolverine line. No response, and there’s nothing of interested on the stimulus plan bids page.

Finally, Wolverine’s service hours change starting today — some trains are earlier, others later, and some are unchanged.



  1. Just curious… on the map, the red lines are clearly the existing Amtrak routes. I’m intrigued by the green lines, though. Are they RR tracks that have no current passenger service? Bus lines served by Amtrak? Stimulus candidates? The article links omit mention.


       —Ian Jones    Jun. 30 '09 - 04:43PM    #

  2. That map is from the Amtrak Route Atlas. The green lines are for Thruway service, which are buses.


       —Matt Hampel    Jun. 30 '09 - 06:46PM    #

  3. An AU post from this time last year shows annual ridership trends at the A2 station .

    National Assn of Rail Passengers (NARP) fact sheets show an upwards trend in Michigan-wide ridership .

    A cookie for somebody who can provide me with Michigan’s Amtrak operating grant numbers over those time periods – I’m interested in graphing “productivity” trends: State operating grant vs. ridership over time. My casual google comes up dry.


       —Murph    Jun. 30 '09 - 10:50PM    #

  4. 1996 – 2005
    http://house.michigan.gov/hfa/PDFs/amtrak2005.pdf

    You should be able to find more recent numbers from news reports or by contacting the House or Senate Fiscal Agencies.

    http://house.michigan.gov/hfa/transportation.asp


       —John Q.    Jun. 30 '09 - 11:32PM    #

  5. This information is reported annually by MDOT.

    2003:
    http://www.mi.gov/documents/MDOTsec711-04_81879_7.pdf

    2006:
    http://www.mi.gov/documents/mdot/MDOTsec711-4-5-07_180721_7.pdf

    2006 is the most recent version available on MDOT’s web page.

    https://www.mi.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9622_11045_12737—-,00.html


       —John Q.    Jun. 30 '09 - 11:38PM    #