All posts by Carolyn Ulstad

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Support New Train Equipment

A message from:

“For too long, the United States has neglected the potential of passenger rail. As a result, Amtrak has an aging and shrinking fleet. The national passenger railroad is often forced to run short trains that fill up and sell out quickly, even at high prices.

The solution is to build more equipment. Unfortunately, the United States lacks manufacturing capacity to do this quickly.

To fix this problem, two things are very important:

1. We must urge Amtrak to move as quickly as possible to use funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild its fleet.

2. We need a national rail program to expand passenger-train service, offer more frequent trains, and increase speeds.

Please ask your U.S. Senators and Representative in Congress to make sure that Amtrak rebuilds its fleet of passenger cars as quickly as possible, while planning for the future.”

Send a message

 

Announcements, FYI, News

Mechanic Street to close on Feb. 27

Mechanic Street to close on Feb. 27
for railroad bridge construction work in Jackson 

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will close Mechanic Street to resume improvements around a railroad bridge. This work is part of the Jackson Railroad Bridges Replacement Project to replace two century-old railroad bridges over Jackson and Mechanic streets. The project also includes replacement of the railroad grade crossing at Blackstone Street.  

The bridges are on a segment of railroad owned by MDOT within the federally designated high-speed rail corridor between Chicago and Detroit/Pontiac, supporting Amtrak passenger service and Norfolk Southern freight trains. The $32.9 million project is estimated to be completed in October 2023. 

County:
Jackson 

Roads/Streets:
Mechanic Street 

Closest city:
Jackson 

Start date:
7 a.m.
Monday, Feb. 27, 2023 

Completion date:
October 2023

Traffic restrictions:
Mechanic Street will close to traffic on Feb. 27 and Blackstone Street will close in early April. Jackson Street will remain open until the railroad bridges are replaced in August. Detroit and Van Buren streets will remain closed through the end of the project. Motorists should follow the posted detours. 

Safety benefit:
Replacing these bridges will ensure smooth and safe railroad operations while maintaining this vital part of the state’s economy. Closing streets during this type of work is necessary to provide the safest work area possible for crews and motorists. 

Announcements, Meetings

Feb 27: Toledo Rail Forum

Program

  • Derrick James, Director, Government Affairs, Amtrak, will give an update on Amtrak.
  • The featured speaker is Jim Coston, Executive Chairman, Corridor Rail Development. “Beyond Amtrak as a sole-source provider; how Ohio can create a public/private regional partnership for development and operation of passenger trains.”

Registration

The program and buffet luncheon are presented by the Northwest Ohio Passenger Rail Association (NOPRA). Tickets are $40 for NOPRA members, $50 for non-members, and $25 for students.

Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toledo-rail-forum-tickets-517910282597 to register. Online registration is preferred.

Click for mail-in option registration