Amtrak Michigan: Wolverine, Blue Water, Pere Marquette

I'm shocked to hear this, but this is the first time I've heard in a while about a station development being cancelled by the FRA...

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... h-station/

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Federal Railroad Administration has halted work on a long-proposed new passenger station for Ann Arbor, citing high cost and unacceptable design features.

MLive, the Ann Arbor News website, reports a letter from Jamie Rennert, director of the FRA’s Office of Infrastructure Development, told the city the agency would discontinue work on the environmental assessment of the station plan. The letter cited the high cost of a design that would place the station over the tracks because of space constraints and the amount of parking desired by the city, and said the design “exceeds intercity passenger rail needs.”

For more than a decade, the city has pursued construction of a new station adjacent to the University of Michigan Medical Center at Fuller Park, a 60-acre recreation area. Mayor Christopher Taylor called the FRA decision an “unwelcome surprise” and told the newspaper the current Amtrak depot is inadequate. The city is currently determining a response and has enlisted the help of the state Department of Transportation and U.S. Rep Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn).

Ann Arbor thinks highly of itself and wanted $150M+ from the Feds for a Taj Mahal design. Good on FRA for not wasting their time. Get that long rumored commuter service up and running and maybe FTA can kick in some funding...

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By comparison Ypsilanti and Lansing's station projects were in the $3-8M range...

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eolesen wrote: ↑Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:38 pm Ann Arbor thinks highly of itself and wanted $150M+ from the Feds for a Taj Mahal design. Good on FRA for not wasting their time. Get that long rumored commuter service up and running and maybe FTA can kick in some funding...

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I don't think the MItrain commuter rail service is still a go. Some of the rolling stock purchased for the operation was sold to the Nashville RTA for use on the WeGo Star (formerly Music City Star) commuter train there.

I am surprised that the FRA called them out but am also happy that they did so. $150 million can be spent in much better ways than building a facility where passenger rail transportation will receive a minimum benefit. Sure, the Ann Arbor station needs help. But the help should be focused on the station and the non-rail improvements should be minimal.

How about restoring operation at this station?

....and simply kick the restaurant out of it?

I certainly agree; the Michigan Central did have some very impressive station structures.

The old station location is a great spot and there is space for additional parking. This screams U of M power play by putting right by the hospital.

So let the U pay for it. I'm sure there's a donor somewhere looking for their name on a building who won't care what the building does as long as they get the recognition...

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I was looking at the scheduled times for Battle Creek and Jackson, Michigan. The scheduled time between those two stations is about the same whether or not the train stops at Albion in between, and is actually shorter for at least one of the two times a day that the train stops in Albion than for at least one of the four times a day that it doesn't.
A. A stop must take some time; I was there on the platform on Thursday night while the train came in slowly, stood for a couple of minutes, and pulled out slowly. The trains that don't stop have to slow down some for the town (which they go through on an S-curve with a bunch of street crossings), so it's not like a stop is requiring deceleration and acceleration from-to 110 mph, but still I would have expected the schedule to show some additional time.
B. If the additional time is so negligible that Amtrak doesn't bother adding it to the schedule, why not have all six trains make at least flag stops there, instead of just one each way? It's a nice little town with a college walking distance from the station and lots of students from Chicago, Detroit, and other places along the line--a good Amtrak destination, and as my kid said it would be a better place to go to college if all six trains stopped, making good service to Chicago and Detroit but also allowing day and half-day trips to Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Ann Arbor.

Summer work service cut: MLive.com

Amtrak will cut 2 Michigan train trips for summer to make upgrades

JACKSON COUNTY, MI -- Amtrak plans to temporarily cut down on its train routes so workers can make track upgrades, the transportation company said.

Wolverine Trains 350 and 353, which run between Chicago and Pontiac, will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, starting May 6. Those Wolverine routes will not operate Monday through Thursday, as they normally do.
...

https://media.amtrak.com/2024/10/amtrak ... e-midwest/

Wolverine and Blue Water Capacity Enhancement: Niles-Glenwood Road (up to $8,384,000)

This project – directly a part of CHIP – will advance final design for plans to increase capacity along a 19-mile, mostly single tracked segment of the Amtrak-owned Michigan Line. This congested area delays Amtrak Blue Water and Wolverine services connecting Michigan and Chicago, along with Norfolk Southern freight trains. The project will set the stage for future construction to improve service reliability, minimize traffic bottlenecks and reduce trip times for customers. Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation will contribute the required local funding match.

I grew up nearby and know the area well, I don't know of a Glenwood road until you get to Chicago Heights / Homewood area, but that's not adjacent to this route.

I do know there are frequent delays at Niles and Kzoo waiting for eastbounds, so westbounds have to pause 15 minutes or so. I think this is because when an eastbound is late getting out of Detroit area, it screws up timing for westbounds. It would make a lot more sense to me to fix the issues in Detroit than laying track in Dowagiac or Niles. But maybe it's a CN-caused problem and there isn't much to be done.

Eastbounds out of Chicago? Or Westbounds out of Detroit delaying eastbounds approaching Kalamazoo?
The planning is for a long siding between Niles and Kalamazoo. No funding for the restoration of the second track, just money for planning.

I got that backward didn't I? Once I get my directions and colors down, I'm going to be a real threat some day.

Eastbounds leaving Niles are often delayed by Westbounds out of Kzoo and Dowagiac, and I have heard this is because of Amtrak/CN problems leaving Detroit metro area. The westbound runs into trouble somewhere b/w Pontiac and Annie and that delay results in knock-on effects around Niles to the eastbound.

Crazy how we're spending a ton of money on studies when there are probably NYC track charts sitting at NS or CSAO offices somewhere. Or maybe some buff has them and is selling them on ebay!