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From an Michigan Department of Transportation press release:
The public is invited to celebrate 30 years of the Pere Marquette Amtrak service between Grand Rapids and Chicago, with stops in Holland, Bangor and St. Joseph/Benton Harbor. The Westrain coalition and Amtrak will promote the 30th anniversary event with a double-decker Superliner train, including a special “theater car” at the rear of the train for better viewing; an opportunity to win free round-trip tickets at stations; and commemorative gift bags and refreshments. The event is sponsored by the Westrain coalition, Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which provides state support for the route.
Approximately one-half hour prior to regularly scheduled train departure, 30th anniversary ceremonies at each city are slated to include local mayors and other city leaders, as well as MDOT and Amtrak officials.
To commemorate the occasion, tickets will be discounted 30 percent for the month of September for all stops on the Pere Marquette route. Go to www.amtrak.com for ticket details.
WHEN:
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014
Grand Rapids: 7:00 a.m. event (7:40 a.m. departure)
Holland: 7:50 a.m. event (8:26 a.m. departure)
Bangor: 8:30 a.m. event (9:07 a.m. departure)
St. Joseph/Benton Harbor: 9:10 a.m. event (9:44 a.m. departure)
WHERE:
Grand Rapids Amtrak Station
431 Wealthy St., SW
Grand Rapids
Holland Amtrak Station
1717 Lincoln Ave.
Holland
Bangor Amtrak Station
541 Railroad St.
Bangor
St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Amtrak Station
410 1/2 Vine St.
St. Joseph
BACKGROUND:
The Pere Marquette serves Grand Rapids, Holland, Bangor, and St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, with daily passenger service to and from Chicago. This is one of three state-sponsored routes. Michigan is among 15 states, including Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin, that sponsors Amtrak for services. Improvements to the service include free Wi-Fi service added last year and a new station location scheduled to open in Grand Rapids next month.
Since 2006, annual ridership has been steady at more than 100,000 each year. Currently, ridership is expected to be about 3 percent below last year’s total of 104,491 due to the recent harsh winter and steady-to-lower gas prices.
Westrain coalition members include the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, the city of Bangor, Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce, and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, and are supported by the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers.
From Railway Age:
The Algoma Central Railway Passenger Service Working Group is seeking a contract operator for ACR’s passenger service between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, Ontario, and has issued a request for Expressions of Interest (EOI). The purpose of this non-binding invitation is to pre-qualify companies to participate in an upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) process that will identify one or more parties to be part of a stakeholder plan to have a third party operate the service.The Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corp., on behalf of the ACR Passenger Service Working Group, issued the EOI on Sept. 3 with the endorsement of CN, which owns the rail line and Algoma Central Railway Inc. Proponents have until September 19 to make submissions. The EOI is available online at www.algomapassengerrail.com.
“Stakeholders, through their own efforts, were successful in working with CN and the Canadian federal government to keep the ACR passenger line operating in the short term, and we’re now focusing on long-term solutions,” said Working Group member Tom Dodds, CEO of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corp. “If there are any rail companies or other parties that are interested in operating the ACR passenger service, we’d like to hear from them. We encourage everyone to get the message out about this unique passenger service opportunity.”
In parallel, CN issued a separate EOI related to its Agawa Canyon Train Tour. The company is seeking a qualified third-party operator to run the regional tourist attraction. CN said its core business is running a freight railway, and it believes “a qualified third-party operator could capitalize on opportunities to grow the tour train service, leverage back office functions, and market the product effectively.” To receive the CN Agawa Canyon Tour Train EOI, contact CN Director of Passenger Services Terry O’Brien 514-399-6673 or CN Director of Corporate Development Fady Mansour at 514-399-4840.
The two EOIs are separate undertakings, though parties may consider submitting an EOI to both.
“This is a critical step in our efforts as key stakeholders to secure the future of the ACR passenger service,” said Working Group member Sylvie Fontaine, Executive Director of the Hearst Economic Development Corporation. “Stakeholders represent a broad range of people, tourists, businesses, communities, and First Nations who depend on the passenger service. There are significant opportunities to increase ridership and revenues while, at the same time, reducing costs. As a group of well-organized stakeholders who represent interests along the railway and throughout the region, we are keen on working with a private, third-party operator to enable it and the passenger service to be successful.”
The ACR Passenger Service Working Group, which represents a larger committee of interested stakeholders, consists of individuals from the City of Sault Ste. Marie (its CAO chairs the Working Group), Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, Municipality of Wawa, Town of Hearst, area First Nations, Township of Dubreuilville, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie (representing local tourism operators), Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association (representing regional tourism operators), Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains (CAPT), and land and cottage owners serviced by the ACR passenger line.
“This is another opportunity for First Nations in our area to work with our neighbors, fellow stakeholders, other governments and the private sector to develop a successful outcome for the mutual benefit of the region, province and country,” said Working Group member Jason Gauthier, Chief of the Missanabie Cree First Nation, which is part of the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs’ Forum. “We see a number of opportunities to support the sustainability and growth of this important passenger rail service. The Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs Forum is pleased to be a partner in this initiative.”
Source: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/news/algoma-central-cn-seek-passenger-service-operators.html?channel=00
Amtrak will continue to operate trains on a modified schedule for the Wolverine Service and Blue Water routes through the end of September as it completes infrastructure improvements in West Michigan. The track and signal work will result in improved reliability, a smoother ride and the future extension of 110 mph Amtrak service between Battle Creek and
Kalamazoo.
The modified schedules first announced in the spring primarily affect the westbound schedule of Train 365, the Blue Water, from Port Huron to Chicago, via East Lansing. Wolverine Service customers between West Michigan and Chicago will continue to benefit from an additional eastbound trip on Sundays and an additional westbound trip on Mondays during the period ending Sept. 30.
Please see the attached Amtrak Passenger Service Notice for details and other significant schedule modifications.
These temporary schedules also allow Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) a greater opportunity to continue their work to reduce freight train congestion that has been interfering with Amtrak trains in Northern Indiana. Both Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation have asked NS to take action to improve the daily dispatching of ten state- sponsored Amtrak trains — and four more
Amtrak national network services — on NS tracks between Chicago and Porter, Ind.
Normal Wolverine Service and Blue Water schedules in Michigan are effective on Oct. 1.
The Amtrak Pere Marquette train schedules to and from Grand Rapids are unchanged.
From The Kalamazoo Gazette:
Two individuals escaped injury on Aug. 28, 2014 in Oshtemo Township after their car was cut in half by a westbound Amtrak train.
At approximately 10 p.m., a Chevrolet Monte Carlo heading north on 4th Street near Stadium Drive became lodged on railroad tracks at a crossing closed for maintenance after the driver proceeded around closure barriers on the street, Deputy Ron Kelly from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department said.
“They tried to make a short cut over the railroad tracks,” he said. “The car got stuck on the tracks and then the train hit it.”
After getting out of their stuck vehicle, the two individuals watched as a westbound Amtrak train headed for Chicago carrying 188 passengers and traveling at approximately 60 miles per hour sliced their car in half, Kelly said.
The train was stopped a short distance from the crossing but later continued toward Chicago.
In addition to facing misdemeanor charges, the driver of the vehicle will also be liable for costs associated with damage to the Amtrak train, Kelly said.
“They’re going to have to pay for brake damage to the train,” he said.
Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/08/car_cut_in_half_after_driver_a.html