Area could get train route

[OwlCaboose2853]

Area could get train route


By IAN PATRICK GRAY
Sun Staff Writer

All Aboard!
That's what Mt. Pleasant residents could be hearing in three years if the plans of the newly renamed Great Lakes Central Railroad are brought to pass.

Formerly known as the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway, GLCR owners plan to introduce passenger train service from Ann Arbor to Traverse City, running through central Michigan.

"We'd like to very much run passenger trains, something along the lines of Amtrak," said Mike Bagwell, railroad president and CEO. "I think there is a real need for rail passenger trains on this line, and it's been my opinion all along. That is a goal for us. I think it will make a good addition to our freight business."

Even with a clear goal in sight, there is a lot of work to be done before passenger service can be put into operation, he said.

Tracks and equipment need updating to meet the needs of the higher-speed passenger trains, Bagwell said.

Warning signals must be recalibrated to accept the higher speeds and new ones installed in key locations on the 184-mile Ann Arbor-Traverse City route.

"We need to increase the speeds on our line," Bagwell said. "We can run passenger trains right now, but it would take longer than the ridership would want to take if they are using it for transportation rather than an excursion."

Federal guidelines require signals to flash a minimum of 20 seconds before a train passes through an intersection, Bagwell said.

Twenty seconds for a 20-mph freight train, however, is a much shorter distance than required for a passenger train averaging 55 to 60 mph. For examples, a freight train running at 20 mph will travel 587 feet (0.1 mile) in 20 seconds, while a passenger train averaging 55 mph will travel 1,613 feet (0.3 mile) in 20 seconds.

"It looks good to me that this will eventually happen," Bagwell said. "There are enough people in the state of Michigan that would use it and that is what drives any business decision. Can you make back the investment and make a profit? We think it will work."

Any alterations in the rail lines must be completed in conjunction with the state of Michigan's Department of Transportation, which owns most of the rail lines in the state, Bagwell said. Michigan leases out hundreds of miles of track abandoned by previous owners.

"I think freight will always be the backbone of our business, but passenger trains benefit the people of the state of Michigan, economic development and tourism," Bagwell said. "The things that are good for state are good for us. (MDOT officials) are certainly looking at the plans, but I think they have an open mind."

While the new service tops the list of changes at the former Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway, it's not the only change.

Federated Railways purchased TSB Railways March 31 of this year, but the official filing of the name change and other paperwork didn't occur until August, Bagwell said.

"The Tuscola and Saginaw Bay name didn't fit what we do or cover anymore," Bagwell said.

Other than the change of name and a slight alteration in color palette, nothing much has changed with the railroad, he said.

"Our colors used to be blue and maize; the new colors are blue and white," Bagwell said. "There haven't really been a lot of changes. We have the same employees and operate the same way. We renamed things and changed our colors, but our operation is basically the same as it's always been."

Originally formed Aug. 26, 1977, TSB Railway operated over former Penn Central tracks. It was known as the Ann Arbor Railroad prior to that.

Great Lakes Central Railroad is based in Owosso and can be located at:

http://tsbrailway.com.


Click here to return to story:
http://www.themorningsun.com/stories/12 ... n001.shtml

[jukeman]

>>We can run passenger trains right now, but it would take longer than the ridership would want to take if they are using it for transportation rather than an excursion."

Good luck getting through Durand and the H & E

[trainjunkie47]

I would suspect that a wye would have to be constructed at the East end of Cadillac West Yard near 3rd and Wright. Otherwise, a backing move or run around would be needed to go North to Walton Jct. The space does exist for such a connection, as no structure occupies the area.

I wonder if a casino train would be a possibility, running to Mt Pleasant with a shuttle to the casino?