Autumn 2006 stories include:

• New Passenger Route? – Passenger service from Ann Arbor to Traverse City could begin in a few years
• Blue Water and Pere Marquette safe but is the Wolverine?
• Mayor Pushes for Commuter Rail Service – Commuter train may be way to unclog US-23
• Transportation Secretary Resigns – Mineta resigns, Peters nominated to be new U.S. Secretary of Transportation
• New Amtrak Leader – Veteran Rail and Industrial Executive Alexander Kummant appointed Amtrak’s new President and CEO
• Transit Center Planned – Plan for Troy-Birmingham Transit Center would link trains with bus and other services
• Kalamazoo Transportation Center Opens! – A new life for Kalamazoo’s former Michigan Central station
• Renovation Complete – Lapeer’s Grand Trunk Western station restored to its 1900-era look
• Fence Project – New fence (at Durand Union Station) offers public to purchase sections with engraved plaques
• Temporary Schedule Change – Track work on CSX adjusts timings to Amtrak’s Pere Marquette
• All Aboard the Foxtown Tigers Train – Amtrak and Detroit take Tigers fans to Comerica Park
• Ex-Canadian Dome-Observation Visits Durand – Enthusiast experience sleep in renovated passenger rail car
• Repairing Jackson’s Depot – Former Michigan Central station receives stabilization grant for repairs
• Learning from the Pros – MARP’s Guest Speakers
• MARP Member at Work
• Chairman’s Corner: Are we making a difference?
• The Long View: The Most Important Bill
• The Northern Arrow – The return of a classic

Published quarterly, The Michigan Passenger serves as the official publication of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. Copies of the publication can be found at every Amtrak station in the state of Michigan as well as locations having interest in passenger rail such as local libraries, hobby stores and city halls. To receive this publication at your home or business, you must become a member of MARP. Join by filling out the application in the About MARP section of this website.

Summer 2006 stories include:

• Funding Restored – Michigan legislators restore $1 million shortfall in funding to continue Amtrak operations through September 2006
• Passenger Equipment Leaser purchases Michigan shortline railroad – Federated Railways buys Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway
• Commuters Get a Taste of Michigan – Tourism and transportation officials promote direct travel to Michigan destinations via Amtrak
• New Year, More Money – Amtrak presents 2007 Fiscal budget to Senate Appropriations Subcommittees
• Jackson Studies Depot Development Options – Former Michigan Central station to become an intermodal rail-bus station
• Passenger Survey Project
• Colorado or Bust – Travelers take Amtrak for their spring break vacation destinations
• MARP Members at Work
• Return of the 118 – Restored office car makes round trips on Amtrak’s Pere Marquette
• New MDOT Director – Kirk Steudle appointed Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation
• Chairman’s Corner: The Survey Says: Rail Travel Boosts Economy
• Grand Reopening Halted – Renovation work on former Michigan Central station delayed
• Truck Hits Michigan Amtrak Train – Train catches fire, leaving one dead and several injured

Published quarterly, The Michigan Passenger serves as the official publication of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. Copies of the publication can be found at every Amtrak station in the state of Michigan as well as locations having interest in passenger rail such as local libraries, hobby stores and city halls. To receive this publication at your home or business, you must become a member of MARP. Join by filling out the application in the About MARP section of this website.

Spring 2006 stories include:

• The Faster, the Better – An approval from the Federal Railroad Administration could mean faster trains in Michigan
• Bush Administration proposes $900 million for Amtrak
• Supporters Rally to Restore Amtrak Funding – Attention is focused on Michigan Senator Shirley Johnson
• Planners Approve of Train Station – Lawsuit on parking spaces places new passenger service in New Buffalo on hold
• Upgrading History – Renovation of Lapeer’s former Grand Trunk Western station begins
• “Now That’s a Train!”
• Closing Announcement Turns Out False – Fliers stating the Niles station to close were not official
• Wheels on the Bus may be Returning to Town – Intercity buses to possibly return to the new Kalamazoo Transportation Center
• Alternatives Include Commuter Rail – MARP files comments on the Ann Arbor-to-Detroit Rapid Transit Study
• Chairman’s Corner: Moving Michigan Forward
• The Long View: It’s Different Now
• Bound for Mo-Town – Special train and equipment head for Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan

Published quarterly, The Michigan Passenger serves as the official publication of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. Copies of the publication can be found at every Amtrak station in the state of Michigan as well as locations having interest in passenger rail such as local libraries, hobby stores and city halls. To receive this publication at your home or business, you must become a member of MARP. Join by filling out the application in the About MARP section of this website.

Winter 2006 stories include:

• Two Michigan Trains Could End in 2006 – Blue Water and Pere Marquette could end service in August 2006
• Amtrak President Released – Supporters want David Gunn reinstated after being fired by the railroad’s Board of Directors
• Moving on Up to the North Side – New Buffalo to receive service from Amtrak’s Blue Water and Wolverine in 2006
• Amtrak Raises Speed on Michigan Trains – Train Control Project has Long Incubation Periods
• Transportation Center Project Continues to Make Progress – Project to preserve historic rail station and create transfer center for buses
• Ridership Soars in 2005 – Ridership Increases for Third Straight Year
• From Fast Food to A Taste of A Different Kind – Former Pere Marquette station reopens as Gelesosomo’s Silver Beach Pizza Co.
• Rolling Into Town – Train ride becomes highlighted event of Fennville’s Goose Festival
• The Business of Railroading – Symposium held to provide education and insight on moving trains in Michigan
• Help Save the Clare Depot – Clare Depot Preservation, Inc. forms to rescue the city’s historic station
• Renovation Work Nears Completion – Former Michigan Central station to be opened by this fall
• Chairman’s Corner: We didn’t “Dodge the Bullet” after all
• Executive Director’s Report: Mixed Baggage
• North Pole Express – Locomotive used for The Polar Express movie returns for second year of excursions

Published quarterly, The Michigan Passenger serves as the official publication of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. Copies of the publication can be found at every Amtrak station in the state of Michigan as well as locations having interest in passenger rail such as local libraries, hobby stores and city halls. To receive this publication at your home or business, you must become a member of MARP. Join by filling out the application in the About MARP section of this website.

Fall 2005 stories include:

• AMTRAK SAVED BUT FOR HOW LONG?
  • 2006 Transportation Budget May End Amtrak Service in Michigan
  • Legislators fund Amtrak but ties strings to food and sleeper service
• Joe Schwarz Ready to Fight – U.S. Congressman calls a special meeting to support Amtrak
• Blue Water Service Sabotaged – Four vandals face charges in halt of local Amtrak train
• Treasurer Dies – MARP Treasurer and Upper Peninsula Regional Chairman passes
• Celebrating A Century of Service – Durand Union Station turns 100 years old
• All Aboard For a New Experience – Amtrak launches its new Empire Builder
• New Members Welcomed
• Beech Grove Not Moving To Michigan – After shocking announcement, Amtrak has no plans to relocate
• Chairman’s Corner: Spotlight on MARP’s Coalition Associates
• Editorial: The Tipping Point
• Platform Raised – Bangor station gets a new boost

Published quarterly, The Michigan Passenger serves as the official publication of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. Copies of the publication can be found at every Amtrak station in the state of Michigan as well as locations having interest in passenger rail such as local libraries, hobby stores and city halls. To receive this publication at your home or business, you must become a member of MARP. Join by filling out the application in the About MARP section of this website.