From the Port Huron Times Herald

Amtrak’s passenger services in Michigan saw higher ridership numbers in the first six months of the 2010-11 fiscal year ending in March.

Growth was noted on all three routes, including the Blue Water service between Port Huron and Chicago, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Blue Water service saw a 26.2% increase over the same period last year, with 85,823 passengers, one of the largest increases in the nation, according to a statement from MDOT.

Ticket revenue was up by 23.9%, to $2,616,534. Amtrak’s Wolverine service on the Pontiac/Detroit-Chicago corridor saw an increase of 16.3% in the same period.

Ridership on the Pere Marquette service between Grand Rapids and Chicago saw a 6.7% passenger increase in the same period.

More information is available at the MDOT Web site, www.michigan.gov/mdot.