Category Archives: Announcements

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Announcements, FYI

Save 20% on Amtrak tickets

Amtrak is offering discounts on select routes in Michigan beginning January 5, 2015:

winter2013Book your travel now through March 30, 2015, for travel January 5 through March 31, 2015, to save. Your trip could take you to shimmering shores of Lake Michigan or Lake Huron, or bring you as far as Grand Rapids or Detroit.

Travel the following routes, including:

  • The Blue Water – which stops in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and the maritime town of Port Huron
  • The Pere Marquette – offers a scenic ride that connects Chicago and Grand Rapids.
  • The Wolverine – travels east from Chicago all the way to Detroit.
Have a Relaxing or  Adventurous Winter Getaway

Make the most of The Midwest Winter Warm Up Sale and enjoy traveling in comfort with less stress and great amenities. Your winter getaway begins the minute you step onboard. And when you book now through March 30, 2015, for travel January 5 through March 31, 2015, you’ll have even more to enjoy — a savings of 20%.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS: http://www.amtrak.com/travel-to-michigan-and-save-20-percent-this-winter?WT.mc_t=MIWinter2015_EXT&WT.mc_n=MichiganPage&WT.mc_r=365

Terms and Conditions
  • Valid for 20% off the regular (full) adult rail fare.
  • Valid for sale now through March 30, 2015.
  • Valid for travel January 5 – March 31, 2015.
  • Blackout dates:
    – February 13, 2015
    – February 16, 2015
  • Advance reservations are required a minimum of one (1) day prior to travel.
  • Seating is limited; seats may not be available on all trains at all times.
  • Up to two (2) children ages 2 – 12 may accompany each adult at half the regular (full) adult rail fare.
  • Children and infants must travel with an adult who is 18 years or older.
  • Valid for travel on the following services: Blue Water, Pere Marquette and Wolverine.
  • Valid for Coach seats.
  • Upgrade to Business Class is available upon full payment of applicable accommodation charges.
  • Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice.
  • Not combinable with any other discount offer.
  • In addition to the discount restrictions, this offer is also subject to any restrictions, blackouts and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased.
  • Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted.
  • Other restrictions may apply.
Announcements, Meetings

MARP meets in Kalamazoo March 14, 2015

MARP Member Meeting
Saturday, March 14, 2015
10:30 a.m. – 12:03 p.m.
First Methodist Church
212 South Park Street
Kalamazoo MI 49007

 Map & Directions

Snow may still be on the ground, but there will be plenty of green all around when MARP meets in Kalamazoo on St. Patrick’s Day. Our guest speaker will be Shasta Duffey who is the Vice-President for Sales and Marketing for Grand Elk Railroad. Grand Elk, a division of Watco, is based in Kalamazoo and carries freight on the former Grand Rapids & Indiana line between Elkhart and Grand Rapids. Ms. Duffey gave a well-received presentation at the Michigan Rail Conference last fall at Macomb Community College that was attended by several MARP members. She will bring us up to date on the operations and outlook for the short-line freight business in West Michigan. She may also be able to give us some information on an interesting venture involving Watco and Iowa Pacific Holdings in a proposal to begin scheduled passenger service on the “Sooner Sub” between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Some of you may choose to take the train to Kalamazoo. Amtrak has sweetened the pot with 20% savings on the Midwest Winter Warm-Up Sale. Click here to make your reservations.

          Westbound #351     9:35a          Eastbound #352   4:08p
Westbound #365   10:25a          Eastbound #364   7:12p

Please email marprail@yahoo.com if you plan to arrive by train. We will have cars at the station to take you to the church. If you are driving to the meeting and can be at the station to meet the Wolverine at 9:35a or the Blue Water at 10:25a, please reply to this email.

Note that the meeting will start a bit later than usual to accommodate those arriving by train. We will have lunch at the Old Dog Tavern, located next to track used by Grand Elk. Some of you will remember the outstanding Pasty’s served at the Old Dog, the venue of our previous meeting in Kalamazoo.

kzooumcThe First Methodist Church is on the west side of downtown Kalamazoo, one of the 5 churches that surround Bronson Park. First Methodist is the church across from the northwest corner of the Park. Photo & Directions are here.

Our new West Region Chair, Warren Fritz, is hoping for a good turnout of folks from this corner of the state. During or after lunch, he would like to gather you together to talk about some ideas for the region, one of which is planning for a possible visit of the Amtrak Exhibit Train to Grand Rapids in June.

Hoping for a big crowd!

MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS

There is much to do in downtown Kalamazoo. If you’ve got the winter blues, you might consider making a weekend of it. Below are some ideas.

Kalamazoo Visitor Information

Explore Downtown Kalamazoo
Events March 13-15 include The Pink Floyd Experience, Maple Sugar Fest, Young Vocalists Contest, Farmers Alley Theatre “Good Night Moon”, Gordon Lightfoot concert

Evidence Found: Explorations in Archaeology and exhibits showcasing Kalamazoo History

The Civic Theatre presents “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”

Gilmore Car Museum

Air Zoo

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts featuring an exhibit of Chinese Folk Pottery and the final 2 days of “Wired and Wrapped: Sculpture by Seungmo Park”

The RockShow Ultimate Journey Tribute This show at the recently refurbished Kalamazoo State Theatre will take you back to the days when Journey topped the charts.

Announcements, FYI

Ann Arbor to Traverse City passenger rail to be discussed Feb. 16, 2015

Do you want a train from Traverse City to Ann Arbor? 

Learn how rail is taking off in the state and what we can do to make a connection to southern Michigan a reality.

When: Monday, Feb. 16, 2015 at 7 p.m.

Where: State Theatre, Traverse City

What: In 2012, Michigan created its first State Rail Plan, a $10 billion strategy for modernizing the state’s rail system. Since then, Michigan has been accelerating rail projects at a pace it hasn’t seen since the 19th century. And someday, we may see trains to Traverse City.

Join transportation leaders from across the state to learn about new rail projects, including the M-1 Rail project in Detroit, the Washtenaw-Livingston (WALLY) commuter line in Ann Arbor—and plans to explore a passenger train connection to Traverse City.

Stay after the discussion for a free showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers On a Train.”

Email james@mlui.org for more information.

Click on image to enlarge.
Click on image to enlarge.
Announcements

MARP meets Jan. 10, 2015 at REO Town Depot in Lansing

MARP Member Meeting
Sat., Jan. 10, 2015
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Former GTW Depot, now the REO Town Depot
Lansing Board of Water & Light
1205 S. Washington Ave
Lansing MI 48910

Map & Directions

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero delivered his 2013 State of the City address in the newly restored Grand Trunk Western depot adjacent to BWL's new REO Town power plant. / Courtesy photo
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero delivered his 2013 State of the City address in the newly restored Grand Trunk Western depot adjacent to BWL’s new REO Town power plant. / Courtesy photo

MARP’s first meeting of the New Year promises to be a memorable one. Bob Johnston, well-known to us for his interesting articles in TRAINS Magazine will be our very special speaker. We expect to hear his insights on such Midwest  issues as the Hoosier state, the South-of-the-Lake project, and the possibility of Talgo trains in Michigan, as well as thoughts on the future of Amtrak’s long distance trains. Bob also promises a special “surprise” for us.

The meeting will take place at the historic Grand Trunk Western Railway Station in Lansing. Built in 1902, this classic Spier & Rohn-designed building hasn’t seen service as a passenger station since 1971 and was 4 years into its life as a restaurant when Gerald Ford dropped by for lunch during a whistle stop campaign tour in 1976.

The building has been painstakingly restored in conjunction with the development of the new Lansing Board of Water & Light cogeneration plant with which it shares the 5.3 acre site in the area known as REO Town. The depot is listed on the State Register of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places.

The BWL spent more than $2.8 million restoring the depot to serve as the home for board meetings and employee training. From its terra cotta roof to the dark wood ceiling, period light fixtures, windows, walls and wainscoting, the restoration has been described as “stunning”.

Two design firms, Ann Arbor’s Quinn Evans and Cornerstone of Grand Rapids, shared the design work on the restoration. Two Lansing-based companies, Granger Construction and Christman Co., did the exterior and interior work, respectively.

The eye-catching terra cotta roof involved a bit of serendipity. The tiles were 110 years old and needed to be replaced. The original manufacturer — Ludowici Roof Tile Co. of New Lexington, Ohio, a 120-year-old company with roots in Renaissance Rome and still in business — had the original plans for the depot and produced 14,600 new tiles to the original specifications.

Following the meeting, please plan to socialize over lunch at Clara’s Lansing Station, another of Lansing’s historic railway stations, at 637 East Michigan.

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

Announcements, FYI

Amtrak adds more Wolverine trains for Christmas-New Years travel period

Amtrak is adding 12 additional Wolverine Service trains between Michigan and Chicago to provide expanded December and January holiday travel options. Amtrak will offer an additional eastbound and westbound Wolverine Service train daily between Chicago and Ann Arbor from Dec.26, 2014 through Jan. 4, 2014.

Passengers should book their tickets now for best availability and pricing. Ordinarily, Amtrak and Michigan Department of Transportation provide three daily round-trips between Detroit-area stations and Chicago.

The extra Wolverines (Trains 356 & 359) will operate in addition to regular Wolverines (Trains 350-355) with approval from Norfolk Southern and CN railroads. Please see the attached schedules, which include the Blue Water (Trains 364 & 365), which share the Wolverine route between Battle Creek and Chicago.

The success of extra Amtrak trains during the Thanksgiving period, with more than

35,000 passengers in Michigan, prompted additional Amtrak trains this month and next.

Amtrak-Michigan-Holiday-ATK-14-115_Page_2