Th e Michigan Passenger Your Source For Passenger Rail News Since 1973 Spring 2012 Volume 39, Number 2 Study looks for speed savings between Detroit and Chicago By Larry Sobczak Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and cials, an important focus of the The U.S. Department of the Norfolk Southern Railway study will be reducing conges- Transportation (USDOT) is un- will contribute $200,000 each. tion by linking a double track Michigan Association dertaking a new $4 million study “This is an important part- passenger main to the 110 mph of Railroad Passengers to reduce passenger and freight nership in our efforts to reinvent service at Porter. The study will www.marp.org rail congestion between De- Michigan, specifi cally creating build on progress Michigan has troit and Chicago along the high an accelerated rail connection already made by achieving 110 speed rail corridor. between Detroit and Chicago for mph service from Porter to Ka- WHAT’S lamazoo. The USDOT announced both citizens and businesses,” INSIDE May 4 that it will contribute $3.2 said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. “This is an important step million towards the study while According to USDOT offi - (See STUDY, page 8) Passengers head “south of the border” See Page 3 Meeting highlights See Page 4 Rewarding Amtrak adventure See Page 5 Celebrate National Train Day See Page 6 Grade crossing crashes discussed See Page 7 Amtrak and Canadian National trains meet in the city of Detroit. This is one of three areas in Michigan Recall targets transit that Amtrak claims it is delayed by the freight train operator. (Photo by Steve Sobel) center opponent See Page 8 Amtrak and CN argue about delays Amtrak and Canadian Na- verine service and a shorter sec- starting points without these bul- tional Railroad (CN) have asked tion of track in Battle Creek used letins) and failure to meet with the Surface Transportation Board by both the Blue Water and Wol- Amtrak to iron out problems. (STB) for a mediator to resolve a verine. Under the legislation that PAID 44870 dispute about Amtrak’s on-time The dispute began in Janu- transferred national passen- U.S. POSTAGE U.S. PRESORT STD. PRESORT PERMIT NO. 10 PERMIT NO. SANDUSKEY, OH SANDUSKEY, performance along CN’s rail- ary when Amtrak fi led a 46 page ger rail operations to Amtrak in roads in the U.S. including three complaint with the STB stating 1971, railroads hosting Amtrak segments in Michigan. that CN was purposely delaying are not supposed to give freight On March 27, Amtrak and passenger trains hosted on CN trains preference over passenger CN jointly fi led a motion before railroads throughout the U.S. trains. the STB requesting that STB The complaint details CN’s In its complaint, Amtrak delay action for 90 days and ap- poor performance and gives claims: point a mediator to supervise dis- many specifi c examples, point- cussions to resolve the issues. • CN failed to meet stan- ing out that CN delivers more dards for host-responsible Amtrak is hosted on three late trains than any other carrier delays for the Blue Water sections of CN-owned railroads in the country, by far. The ex- service in every single quar- Passengers on of Railroad Ɵ in Michigan including the Port amples include putting Amtrak ter of Fiscal Year 2011. CN’s Huron to Battle Creek segmen- on sidings in favor of freights, high delays contributed to tused by Amtrak’s Blue Water not providing Amtrak with daily the Blue Water’s failure to service, the Detroit to Pontiac operating bulletins (engineers meet the End Point OTP stan- railroad used by Amtrak’s Wol- are not allowed to leave their PO Box 532256 PO Box 48153-2256 Michigan Livonia, Michigan Associa Michigan (See ARGUE, page 8) Page 2 Th e Michigan Passenger Spring 2012 Michigan Association of Railroad Th e Michigan Passenger Passengers, Inc. is published four times annually by the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, Inc. OFFICERS Copyright © 2012 Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, Inc. Chair All articles not originated by MARP are copyrighted by their Robert Tischbein respective originators. All rights reserved. Articles used in 586-726-9737 accordance with the Fair Use Clause of the United States [email protected] Constitution. Vice Chair The Michigan Passenger welcomes submissions on passenger rail Vacant issues for publication. Material sent for publication should be sent Secretary to our Editor at: [email protected] Hugh Gurney 517-545-2979 Clippings from newspapers and magazines must include the [email protected] publication’s name and date. Photos sent in by e-mail should be in JPEG format. Treasurer David Randall We reserve the right to edit all submissions. 248-924-4078 [email protected] To subscribe to this publication, join MARP by fi lling out the application below. All MARP members receive a copy of this REGIONAL CHAIRS publication sent to their home or business. Metro Detroit Michigan Passenger Editor: Jim Hinkins Larry Sobczak, larrysobczak@hotmail. com 313-881-6258 586-781-6891 [email protected] Contributors: East/Central Michigan John DeLora Jim Wallington, acting Hugh Gurney 517-303-6038 [email protected] Nathan Nietering Steve Sobel West Michigan Mike Whims John D. Langdon, acting 616-218-9009 [email protected] About MARP… Northern Michigan The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, Inc. (MARP) Don Monteith was established in 1973 as a consumer advocacy group to improve 231-547-6854 intercity rail and bus service, improve local transit and encourage [email protected] the preservation of historic railroad stations. AT-LARGE EXECUTIVES MARP is not affi liated with Amtrak, the railroads, governments or John D. Langdon any political party. MARP is incorporated as a Michigan non-profi t 616-218-9009 organization and is exempt from federal income tax under the IRS [email protected] code, 501( c )(3) as a charitable educational organization. Dues and donations to MARP may be tax-deductible in accordance with the Jim Wallington IRS code. 517-303-6038 [email protected] MARP is an all-volunteer organization. Its membership consists of passengers and citizens who want a viable, balanced transportation Kay M. Chase system in Michigan. 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We use emails for important time-sensitive news First Class $100 Additional Donation __________ and when urgent phone calls are needed for elected offi cials. Lifetime $500 TOTAL ENCLOSED:__________ Spring 2012 Th e Michigan Passenger Page 3 Michigan residents help boost ridership at Ohio and Indiana Amtrak stations By Nathan Nietering Amtrak stations just “south of the border” in northern Indi- ana and Ohio provide a travel choice not just for their home states, but for passengers from southern Michigan. These stations include Tole- do, Ohio, and Waterloo, Elkhart, and South Bend, Indiana. All are served by Amtrak’s long-dis- tance Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited, which connect Chicago with points on the east coast. Both trains provide full sleeping and dining cars in addi- tion to coach cars on their routes. An Amtrak train arrives at the Elkhart station. (Photo by Nathan Nietering) Michigan tabulated record Amtrak ridership during Fiscal offered. the town was awarded a federal increased nearly every year, and Year 2011, with over 880,000 Ridership has increased for 2010 grant for $1.8 million to ex- has since surpassed the 2000 boardings and alightings at the several years at this station, with tend the platform, add new plat- level, to reach 17,070 in 2011, state’s twenty-two stations. a count of 66,413 passengers in form lighting, meet ADA com- nearly three times the 2003 level. Michigan residents also contrib- 2011. This increase is in part pliance, and open a portion of Given Elkhart’s fairly close uted to another increase in Am- due to the guaranteed Amtrak the restored station building for proximity to US-131, passen- trak station use, just beyond the Thruway bus connection from Amtrak passenger use. gers come from as far away as state line. Michigan (The Michigan Pas- At the present time, the town Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids to Stations “south of the border” senger, Winter 2009). This pro- is working through the fi nal de- travel out of the Elkhart station. have also seen an increase in rid- vides a daily connection from the tails of the plan with the US- Today, the waiting room is ership. Considering many travel- Amtrak stations in East Lansing, DOT and Amtrak, according to open at train time in the morning lers are from Michigan, it could Ann Arbor, Dearborn and De- DeWayne Nodine, Town Man- and evening, and is well looked mean travelers meandered to troit with the eastbound Capitol ager of Waterloo. Amtrak’s plan after by the volunteer caretaker.