FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2010
CONTACT: John DeLora, Executive Committee Chair, (313) 575-6608
The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers (MARP) hailed the Obama administration’s announcement of $244 million for upgrades on the Pontiac-Detroit-Chicago corridor, Amtrak’s busiest passenger line in Michigan. The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding grants to renovate the Amtrak station in Battle Creek and to build a new station to serve Birmingham and Troy. A new station will be built in Dearborn adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum and within walking distance of Greenfield Village. Grants awarded previously provided funds for upgrading trackage in Michigan and improving mobility access to several Michigan stations.
Infrastructure improvements along the Indiana and Illinois corridor connecting Detroit and Chicago were also awarded funding from the $8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act monies designated for high-speed rail development in 13 corridors nationwide.
“These projects are going to mean faster, more reliable trains for passengers in cities along the Pontiac-Detroit-Chicago route,” said John DeLora, Chair of MARP. DeLora noted that the route already carries well over half a million riders per year. “This is a good down payment on getting to high-speed rail service. We hope the administration will continue to fund needed infrastructure improvements which benefit so many.”
“As on-time performance improves and schedules get shorter, ridership will show dramatic growth. Amtrak passengers don’t need to go through lengthy security checks and don’t need to be at the station two hours before departure. Downtown to downtown travel times are now getting close to air travel. These improvements will make Amtrak competitive with air travel.”
Amtrak currently provides three round trips daily between Pontiac-Detroit-Chicago. Michigan’s other two routes – Grand Rapids to Chicago and Port Huron to Chicago – will benefit from the improvements being made to the south of the lake portion of the tracks.
MARP is a non-profit corporation founded in 1973 which works for better passenger train service and to restore historic train stations. For further information, contact John DeLora at 313-575-6608.
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