Detroit's passenger rail future just got brighter
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An Amtrak train in 2022. Photo: Luke Sharrett/AFP via Getty Images
New train routes that would connect Detroit to Canada and Cleveland are moving closer to reality.
Driving the news: The Federal Railroad Administration last week awarded grants to study expanded Amtrak service to cities across the U.S., including Detroit.
- The grants are part of the $8.2 billion in new funding for high-speed rail and other projects nationwide, the largest federal investment in passenger trains in decades.
Why it matters: The goal is more accessible and affordable transportation options connecting cities throughout the country.
- Infrastructure upgrades — such as more tracks to avoid congestion with freight trains — will be considered.
Zoom in: The investment covers four $500,000 planning grants to explore new and improved service in the Midwest, including:
- A new route connecting Pontiac to Cleveland, with possible stops in Troy, Detroit and at DTW, Crain's reports.
- Extending the Wolverine line — Amtrak's rail connection from Chicago — beyond Detroit to Windsor and Toronto. Additional trains on the Wolverine's daily schedule also will be studied.
- Improving the frequency and reliability of trains traveling from Chicago to Port Huron and Grand Rapids.
What they're saying: "This investment will improve the reliability of our passenger trains so that people can count on more convenient schedules and trains that run on time," Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said in a statement.
Reality check: The planning could take years, and there's no guarantee the expanded service will actually happen.
- The grants are "a very good start" to initiating these improvements, MDOT spokesperson Michael Frezell tells Axios, adding there isn't a definitive timeline for completing the studies.
Between the lines: MDOT received grants to study better routes from Chicago to Detroit, Port Huron and Grand Rapids.
- The proposed Detroit-Cleveland connection was among four Ohio routes that were selected as railroad expansion priorities, Axios Cleveland reports.
- MDOT and the Ohio Rail Development Commission will work together to develop a cost estimate and other details, per Crain's.
Go deeper: High-speed rail gets a multibillion-dollar White House boost