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Announcements, News

Amtrak Thruway bus service has a new U.P. MDOT Station

St. Ignace and the Upper Peninsula have a new Bus Depot/Travel Center located on US-2, just east of the I-75 intersection on the North side of US-2 near the Mackinac Bridge.

An Indian Trails official said the company plans on using the new St. Ignace station starting Sept. 22 with dedication slated Sept. 28.

MARP Vice-chair Don Monteith said the Michigan Association of Rail Passengers will be represented at inaugural of service from the station and the dedication.

The new bus station is the northern terminus of Indian Trails‘ Amtrak/Thruway route that starts in Kalamazoo at the Transportation Center that is shared with Kalamazoo Transit buses, Amtrak train and Indian Trails’ Amtrak/Thruway route # 8364. The Amtrak Thruway service leaves Kalamazoo at 3 p.m. for Big Rapids, Cadillac, Traverse City, Boyne Falls, Petoskey, plus other intermediate stops, arriving at St. Ignace at 11:45 p.m. The southbound schedule # 8365 has a 8:30 a.m. departure from St. Ignace with an 5:20 p.m. arrival in Kalamazoo.

The new bus station is also the terminus of another Indian Trails bus route that runs from Lansing and Bay City along the shore of Lake Huron to St. Ignace.

Indian Trails also operates a connecting westbound motor coach to Escanaba, where it connects to another Indian Trails Amtrak/Thruway (# 8539) motor coach to to Marquette, L’Anse, Houghton and Hancock with intermediate stops. Indian Trails extends service to Calumet but it is not part of the Thruway service.

South from Escanaba, Indian Trails operates another Amtrak/Thruway service (# 8532) that stops at Marinette, Green Bay, Manitowoc, and intermediate points. ending at the Milwaukee Amtrak Intermodal Station at 7:45 a.m., connecting to Amtrak’s 8 a.m. Hiawatha train to Chicago. With a layover, passengers can connect to Amtrak’s Empire Builder to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Spokane, Seattle and Portland. In Chicago, U.P. residents can connect to the entire Amtrak network

There is also reported interest to connect at St. Ignace to Sault St. Marie, the third largest city in the U.P., but which has no scheduled transportation service.

Press Releases

ACTION ALERT! Tell your state legislator to restore funding for Michigan passenger trains to 2009 levels ($7.3 million) in the new transportation budget

The Michigan senate slashed fiscal year 2010 funds for Michigan passenger train service by almost half. The Michigan house of representatives followed the governor’s recommended budget and slashed fiscal year 2010 funds by 22%. Two of the state’s three train routes will cease to operate by early or late spring next year under these budgets. What’s worse is that these actions jeopardize the state’s application for $800 million in federal grants to build a high-speed route linking Detroit to Chicago and other destinations throughout the Midwest and to improve train operations and stations throughout Michigan.

Michigan’s continued investment in current train service is essential to leveraging the federal funding available to bring passenger trains into the 21st century, along with the jobs and economic development that will accompany this expansion.

Please PHONE or EMAIL your state senator and representative NOW.

— Tell them YOU RIDE THE TRAIN, and

— Ask them to RESTORE FUNDING for the Pere Marquette and the Blue Water routes to the full $7.3 million provided in the current year.

Phone or email Your Legislator http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm – (517) 373-2400 http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp – (517) 373-0135

Let Governor Granholm Know You Support Trains http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995—,00.html – (517) 335-7858 – Constituent Services

The Blue Water route provides daily roundtrip service to Port Huron, Lapeer, Flint, Durand, East Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Dowagiac and Niles. The Pere Marquette provides daily service for travelers in Grand Rapids, Holland, Bangor, St. Joseph, and New Buffalo.

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

Announcements, Meetings

Ann Arbor intermodal transit station outreach meeting on Sept. 17

The city of Ann Arbor has announced an outreach meeting on the planned Fuller Road intermodal transit station to take place on Thursday, September 17.

The meeting will seek input on the creation of a $500,000 conceptual plan for a station oriented around trains—though it will also serve as a focal point for buses, cyclists and pedestrians. It is also hoped that the Fuller Road transit station will connect to a proposed Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line, Chicago-Detroit high-speed rail service, and a streetcar line to downtown.

The city will holding input meetings from 3-5 PM and 6-8 PM in the City Council chambers of City Hall. For information, contact Eli Cooper at ecooper@a2gov.com , or (734) 794-6000, ext. 43710.

Meetings

Register now for MARP’s annual meeting in Kalamazoo Sept. 12

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS
36th ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING
Saturday, September 12, 11 am – 3 pm
Kalamazoo Public Library
315 South Rose, Kalamazoo MI 49007
(4 blocks south of the Amtrak station)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Don’t be left standing on the platform! Don’t miss the informative and interesting program we have planned for you. Invited speakers include Congressman Mark Schauer, Al Johnson, MDOT High Speed Rail, Tim Fischer, Transportation Policy Director, Michigan Environmental Council, and Railroad Historian Mark Tomlonson.

Chair John DeLora will review the year’s accomplishments and look ahead to the exciting prospects for expansion of passenger train service in Michigan as we contemplate tapping into new federal funding for the Midwest high speed rail network.

We need to hear from you by close of business on Saturday, September 5. Please send an email to: kay.chase@wmich.edu

Include your name, mailing address and phone number. If you plan to bring a guest, please include that name as well. $20/ person to cover the cost of materials and a delectable catered lunch will be collected at the door

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

Ridership statistics

Amtrak ridership stats for August 2009

See below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August FY09
                       
    Ridership Ticket Revenue
          % change vs.         % change vs.  
NEC Spine FY09 FY08 Budget FY08 Budget FY09 FY08 Budget FY08 Budget
1 – Acela   226,192 250,440 263,719 -9.7 -14.2 $28,328,309 $33,122,752 $35,408,607 -14.5 -20.0
5 – Northeast Regional   598,060 627,409 645,645 -4.7 -7.4 $35,216,547 $41,409,921 $41,911,924 -15.0 -16.0
99 – Special Trains   240 1,160 1,400 -79.3 -82.9 $49,000 $116,999 $200,000 -58.1 -75.5
Subtotal   824,492 879,009 910,764 -6.2 -9.5 $63,593,856 $74,649,672 $77,520,530 -14.8 -18.0
State Supported and Other Short Distance Corridors                    
3 – Ethan Allen   5,646 5,871 5,622 -3.8 +0.4 $278,322 $288,473 $300,806 -3.5 -7.5
4 – Vermonter   7,764 7,897 7,433 -1.7 +4.5 $409,207 $438,310 $401,990 -6.6 +1.8
7 – Albany-Niagara Falls-Toronto   37,099 42,002 42,608 -11.7 -12.9 $2,140,473 $2,657,055 $2,903,538 -19.4 -26.3
9 – Downeaster   46,903 50,854 47,596 -7.8 -1.5 $715,487 $771,936 $714,621 -7.3 +0.1
12 – New Haven-Springfield   30,432 31,138 33,355 -2.3 -8.8 $842,700 $967,979 $1,014,931 -12.9 -17.0
14 – Keystone   100,526 106,487 110,621 -5.6 -9.1 $2,072,956 $2,262,278 $2,391,160 -8.4 -13.3
15 – Empire (NYP-ALB)   85,933 88,639 92,405 -3.1 -7.0 $3,325,713 $3,644,245 $3,991,052 -8.7 -16.7
20 – Chicago-St. Louis (Lincoln Service)   47,158 48,604 51,319 -3.0 -8.1 $1,123,645 $1,297,476 $1,266,228 -13.4 -11.3
21 – Hiawatha   72,721 78,675 73,730 -7.6 -1.4 $1,301,827 $1,417,689 $1,281,276 -8.2 +1.6
22 – Wolverine   43,439 47,070 51,196 -7.7 -15.2 $1,599,170 $1,833,405 $1,846,646 -12.8 -13.4
23 – Chicago-Carbondale (Illini/Saluki)   21,851 24,324 25,121 -10.2 -13.0 $610,536 $733,374 $740,835 -16.7 -17.6
24 – Chicago-Quincy (IL Zephyr/Carl Sandburg)   18,273 19,839 19,750 -7.9 -7.5 $420,394 $493,731 $509,454 -14.9 -17.5
29 – Heartland Flyer   6,892 8,808 7,660 -21.8 -10.0 $151,339 $197,306 $151,732 -23.3 -0.3
35 – Pacific Surfliner   263,401 313,570 329,460 -16.0 -20.1 $5,016,052 $6,173,776 $6,634,186 -18.8 -24.4
36 – Cascades   81,849 83,142 89,194 -1.6 -8.2 $2,474,590 $2,440,252 $2,498,665 +1.4 -1.0
37 – Capitol Corridor   132,225 158,309 158,485 -16.5 -16.6 $1,905,533 $2,144,278 $2,326,710 -11.1 -18.1
39 – San Joaquin   84,423 96,253 96,004 -12.3 -12.1 $2,551,777 $3,093,399 $3,095,392 -17.5 -17.6
40 – Adirondack   15,499 15,176 15,715 +2.1 -1.4 $768,366 $743,122 $837,086 +3.4 -8.2
41 – Blue Water   12,762 13,796 14,609 -7.5 -12.6 $452,330 $496,849 $481,232 -9.0 -6.0
47 – Washington-Newport News   47,526 50,664 51,614 -6.2 -7.9 $2,564,568 $3,151,846 $3,172,939 -18.6 -19.2
54 – Hoosier State   2,701 3,296 3,350 -18.1 -19.4 $60,377 $75,453 $68,102 -20.0 -11.3
56 – Kansas City-St. Louis (MO River Runner)   15,635 16,593 15,200 -5.8 +2.9 $341,188 $391,128 $345,744 -12.8 -1.3
57 – Pennsylvanian   19,353 19,397 20,435 -0.2 -5.3 $764,215 $856,083 $852,713 -10.7 -10.4
65 – Pere Marquette   10,746 11,508 12,184 -6.6 -11.8 $304,585 $335,164 $327,159 -9.1 -6.9
66 – Carolinian   28,166 29,282 31,202 -3.8 -9.7 $1,675,461 $1,840,161 $2,610,515 -9.0 -35.8
67 – Piedmont   5,237 6,475 5,890 -19.1 -11.1 $84,655 $108,671 $96,061 -22.1 -11.9
74-81 – Buses   – – – – – $567,060 $209,652 $912,943 +170.5 -37.9
96 – Special Trains    403 1,900 900 -78.8 -55.2 $252,567 $444,992 $450,000 -43.2 -43.9
Subtotal   1,244,563 1,379,569 1,412,658 -9.8 -11.9 $34,775,093 $39,508,083 $42,223,715 -12.0 -17.6
Long Distance                    
16 – Silver Star   34,848 33,676 35,090 +3.5 -0.7 $2,571,554 $2,593,572 $2,827,259 -0.8 -9.0
18 – Cardinal   10,064 11,296 11,478 -10.9 -12.3 $609,252 $744,008 $733,216 -18.1 -16.9
19 – Silver Meteor   30,679 28,935 31,205 +6.0 -1.7 $2,910,458 $2,916,886 $3,020,888 -0.2 -3.7
25 – Empire Builder   56,593 57,563 57,614 -1.7 -1.8 $6,922,389 $8,103,734 $7,557,790 -14.6 -8.4
26 – Capitol Ltd.   22,050 21,810 22,181 +1.1 -0.6 $1,803,088 $1,913,233 $1,998,214 -5.8 -9.8
27 – California Zephyr   31,794 37,295 38,337 -14.7 -17.1 $3,881,635 $4,743,659 $4,639,683 -18.2 -16.3
28 – Southwest Chief   30,573 32,396 32,924 -5.6 -7.1 $3,724,208 $4,425,822 $4,402,241 -15.9 -15.4
30 – City of New Orleans   17,899 17,842 20,331 +0.3 -12.0 $1,345,732 $1,375,962 $1,551,830 -2.2 -13.3
32 – Texas Eagle   25,453 27,858 22,598 -8.6 +12.6 $1,927,516 $2,297,428 $1,914,964 -16.1 +0.7
33 – Sunset Ltd.   7,374 7,481 6,967 -1.4 +5.8 $739,536 $847,938 $791,771 -12.8 -6.6
34 – Coast Starlight   48,049 47,055 45,629 +2.1 +5.3 $3,793,041 $4,265,197 $4,258,424 -11.1 -10.9
45 – Lake Shore Ltd.   33,983 36,025 37,760 -5.7 -10.0 $2,693,508 $2,854,864 $2,851,250 -5.7 -5.5
48 – Palmetto   17,859 18,502 19,312 -3.5 -7.5 $1,491,276 $1,571,502 $1,539,884 -5.1 -3.2
52 – Crescent   25,170 26,045 26,926 -3.4 -6.5 $2,353,355 $2,569,936 $2,689,681 -8.4 -12.5
63 – Auto Train   23,780 21,207 23,192 +12.1 +2.5 $4,739,721 $4,671,021 $5,042,960 +1.5 -6.0
Subtotal   416,168 424,986 431,544 -2.1 -3.6 $41,506,267 $45,894,762 $45,820,056 -9.6 -9.4
                       
Amtrak Total   2,485,223 2,683,564 2,754,966 -7.4 -9.8 $139,875,216 $160,052,516 $165,564,302 -12.6 -15.5