Category Archives: Announcements

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Announcements, News, Ridership statistics

Big ridership gains on Blue Water and Wolverine trains

The Blue Water and Wolverine services each posted impressive ridership
numbers during the month of February. 

The Wolverine experienced a 13.5% increase over the previous year’s performance.  The Blue Water also experienced an increase of 9.2% followed by the Pere Marquette that inched past last February’s ridership by 0.2%.

Ticket Revenue for each of the Michigan services was healthy with the Wolverine increasing revenue by 18.5% followed by the Blue Water and Pere Marquette with increases of 13.4% and 10.3%, respectively.

Therese G. Cody at the Michigan Department of Transportation said the recent inclement weather in the Midwest (Illinois and Michigan) travel market, coupled with higher fuel prices had a positive impact on corridor ridership and ticket revenue.

All 3 trains in Michigan were above Amtrak budget:
Train                  Budget$            Budget%    Actual$        Actual% 
Wolverine            $953,675           16.9%        $1,115,021   18.5%
Blue Water          $233,602           12.0%        $261,593      13.4%      
Pere Marquette    $172,205            6.4%         $183,239      10.3%
NBM 09 #’s were not taken into consideration in the above #’s
Announcements, FYI

2010 “Northern Arrow” passenger train trip to Petoskey announced

The Cincinnati Railway Company is pleased to announce the itinerary fro the 2010 “Northern Arrow” private car trip to Petoskey Michigan.  This year’s trip will feature up to twenty private cars and will travel exclusively on Regional and Short Line Railroads.  

The Cincinnati Railway Company will have three of their cars participating.  The Dome car Observatory will be going along with the Sleeper Birch Grove and the Business car Chapel Hill.  Passengers will have the freedom to utilize all three cars during the trip.  This includes the twenty-person dome and lower lounge area of the Observatory, the lower lounge and rear porch of the Chapel Hill, and the bedrooms of the Birch Grove.

Please call Devan at 513-791-7245 to book your reservation.  Rates include all food and drink while rolling, transportation, and lodging.  For a full trip itinerary, visit the website http://www.cincinnatirailway.com/pet.htm

                                                   ROOM  RATES  
Birch Grove    
  Bedroom – Double Occupancy  $      4,450.00
  Bedroom – Single Occupancy  $      3,900.00
  Roomette – Single Occupancy  $      2,295.00
     
Observatory    
  Bedroom B – Double Occupancy  $      4,900.00
  Bedroom C – Double Occupancy  $      4,900.00
  Bedroom B – Single Occupancy  $      4,200.00
  Bedroom C – Single Occupancy  $      4,200.00
     
Chapel Hill    
  Master Bedroom A – Double Occupancy  $      4,700.00
  Bedroom C – Double Occupancy  $      4,900.00
  Bedroom D – Double Occupancy  $      4,900.00
  Master Bedroom A – Single Occupancy  $      4,250.00
  Bedroom B – Single Occupancy  $      4,200.00
  Bedroom C – Single Occupancy  $      4,250.00
  Bedroom D – Single Occupancy  $      4,250.00
     
Announcements, FYI

SRI announces 2010 North Pole Express schedule

Press Release from the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso:

North Pole Express 2010

train

Nothing touches a childs imagination like the magic of Christmas. Share the joy this holiday season by taking the family on a magical train ride to the North Pole. This exciting four-hour journey includes hot cocoa, visits with Santa, holiday rides, model railroad displays, live entertainment, holiday crafts and shopping in the Kris Kringle Mart. Passengers will enjoy the nostalgic ambiance of riding the American rail while viewing the winter scenery of Mid-Michigan. Passengers depart from the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Michigan, and will be riding the rails in vintage passenger cars that will be pulled by one of Great Lakes Central’s historical diesel locomotives. General admission is $70 for adults and $40 for children (12 and under) and are non-refundable. Private coach and caboose rates also available.

NEW in 2010!!! Cocoa Class – Add an extra touch of sweetness to your trip to the North Pole by experiencing specially topped, unlimited cocoa served in your very own North Pole Express souvenir mug. This tasty option would not be complete without a homemade cookie like grandma used to make. “Cocoa Class” will enhance this unforgettable experience. $85 for adults and $55 for children (12 and under). Space is limited, so be sure to tell your friends and family to book their seats today.

 2010 Dates & Times are as Follows:

Departure Dates Departure Times
Friday, November 26 9:30am & 3:30pm
Saturday, November 27 9:30am & 3:30pm
Sunday, November 28 9:30am & 3:30pm
Saturday, December 4 9:30am & 3:30pm
Sunday, December 5 9:30am & 3:30pm
Saturday, December 11 9:30am & 3:30pm
Sunday, December 12 9:30am & 3:30pm
Saturday, December 18 9:30am & 3:30pm
Sunday, December 19 9:30am & 3:30pm

 Click Here to Order Tickets Today

Announcements, FYI, News

Amtrak Plans Events to Celebrate National Train Day

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Amtrak National Train DayAmtrak will host the third annual National Train Day on May 8 with events across the country to celebrate America‘s love for trains. National Train Day commemorates the 141st anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad‘s inception by bringing to life the rich narrative of how trains transformed America. Large-scale, family-friendly events will be held in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles.

National Train Day celebrates the train‘s impact on our country and provides an opportunity for Americans to further understand the influence rail has on the future of transportation in America, said Emmett H. Fremaux, vice president, marketing and product management, Amtrak. With a greater national focus on energy efficiency in travel, trains are already a leading alternative with 20 percent more fuel efficiency than commercial airlines and 28 percent more efficiency than car travel per passenger mile.

On May 8, Amtrak will host free events, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in four of its gateway stations across the U.S. In addition, local communities nationwide are encouraged to develop and host their own National Train Day celebrations. More than 140 local celebrations took place in 2009 and Amtrak expects even more in 2010. As part of National Train Day, each major market event will feature live entertainment, interactive and educational exhibits, kids’ entertainment, model train displays and tours of notable private railroad cars, Amtrak equipment, freight and commuter trains. For more information, visit www.nationaltrainday.com  or www.amtrak.com.

Announcements, Meetings

Amtrak and Trains magazine present a town hall meeting with Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman and board Chairman Tom Carper

Topics to be covered:
This meeting will be held on three issues of importance to railroad enthusiasts:

  • The photography policy
  • Locomotives and passenger cars
  • The future of the long-distance passenger train

Several MARP members will be in attendance, including our Chairman, John DeLora, to ask some very important questions.

Our Chairman plans to ask about the following:

·    Getting the Horizon equipment out of the Midwest ASAP and getting permanent replacement equipment for it on order ASAP.

·    Restoring baggage service on the Detroit route. It’s the number one complaint I hear from travelers.

·    Having food and beverage service available by the time westbound trains arrive in Detroit.

If you have additional topics you would like our MARP leaders to cover at the meeting please send your thoughts to John at jdelora@wowway.com

If you are interested in attending, this meeting is available to the first 300 guests who pre-register in advance. If you are interested in attending this event please go to the Trains Magazine website: http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=5979

Important: This event is open to only the first 300 registrants. Once that limit is reached no additional attendees will be accepted.

Event Information

When:
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, March 6, 2010

Where:
Merchandise Mart Conference Center,
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago 60654

Travel Information:
A 10 percent discount is offered off the lowest available rail fares to and from Chicago, March 3-9, for those traveling to the event. Book through Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL or a travel agent, referencing fare code X79A-978.

A block of rooms at the Holiday Inn/Mart Plaza for the nights of March 5 and 6 at a rate of $139 per night. (must be reserved by Feb. 19). Call 312-836-5000 for reservations and reference the March 6 Amtrak meeting.

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers