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Michigan Amtrak schedules to return to normal
Great News … let’s hope the speed goes up and the ridership returns. It is a welcome improvement to this important service.
I’m surprised that the Kalamazoo-Ann Arbor section was so deteriorated. I thought NS considered this an important segment of their system. How could it get bad enough to shut it down for an extended period of time.
I’m surprised that the Kalamazoo-Ann Arbor section was so deteriorated. I thought NS considered this an important segment of their system. How could it get bad enough to shut it down for an extended period of time.
It’s a shame this segment can’t be owned by Amtrak just like the other segment.
I think it got “bad enough to shut it down for an extended period of time,” because repairs were put off for too long.
NS has tried to sell this line in recent years, it is not a high level freight hauling line.
I think the impression made that the recent reporting on the delays were permanent until the sale to the State of Michigan was completed were unfair. The extensive tie replacement and work done in this repair blitz didn’t just happen but had to have been in the planning for some time.
Sorting this out… Didn’t NS request (not to say demand) some funding from Amtrak to complete these repairs? Does this mean Amtrak ponyed up? Or am I confusing this with a different Michigan situation?
some trains didn’t run until Saturday or Sunday, April 28-29 and those that did run were averaging 45 minutes to two hours late. Doesn’t look like anything much has changed. And don’t be fooled, there wasn’t much freight traffic on the line east of K’zoo to make it a priority for NS from what I have observed.
Penn Central even had the tracks in better condition than this b efore Amtrak took over in 1971.
Penn Central even had the tracks in better condition than this b efore Amtrak took over in 1971.
I live in Battle Creek Mi, on this line, and have been following the recent situation. Several months ago the governors office supposedly signed legislation allowing the state to purchase the line from Kalamazoo to Dearborn from NS. My understanding is that the state required NS to bring the tracks up to a certain standard before the deal went through. So, now we wait and see what happens next…
WTC