New detroit Commuter line?

[TrainWatcher]

I know there has been talk on a new type of Commuter line existing to possibily replace Amtrak between Ann Arbor, Metro Airport, and Detroit. What do you all think of this? Could it happen? What roads (class 1) would participate?

[trainjunkie47]

I just cannot see it happening myself. The NS line running from Detroit to Jackson passes through Ann Arbor but misses the airport by 5 or 6 miles to the north. The NS line that runs from Detroit, past Metro, and through Milan on the way to Indiana, misses Ann Arbor by 7 or 8 miles to the south east.

Could a connector be built on the CSX Saginaw Sub to accomidate trains moving between the two NS lines? Taking the NS from Metro to Milan, then up the Ann Arbor would be too far.

My guess is that the chance of any commuter line starting in this area from Ann Arbor to Detroit, via Metro Airport are somewhere between a slim chance and a fat chance.

[JustinB]

no, they are planning to have a seprate type of commuter from a Stop on the NS Michigan Line to the Airport, like in Inkster or Wayne. There talking about thos higher speed buses. Its very fesabile

[SDavey]

The Former Wabash Line to Fort Wayne passes along the north end of Metro Airport, but running a commuter train on that line would require it to hit both Delray Junction and Melvindale Yard.

My honest opinion commuter trains will probally never run again in the Detroit Area because we had those trains in the past and were dumped due to low ridership. Detroiters love there cars, after all it is the motor city.

[SD80MAC]

Before any of that happens we need to see Chicago-Grand Rapids-Lansing-Detroit Wolverine type service. That's were the ridership lies.

[OwlCaboose2853]

Regional commuter train service plan remains plausible

Efforts to establish commuter train service from Detroit to Ann Arbor will continue following a successful initial meeting this week between a regional authority and Amtrak, a train company official said.

"We had a very productive meeting," Marc Magliari, manager of media relations for Amtrak's Chicago office, said of the Wednesday session in Detroit. "We have some things that all of us are working on to follow up."

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is pursuing the service on a demonstration basis, possibly by leasing Amtrak trains. SEMCOG recently scrapped grander ideas for premium train or bus service because of low ridership projections.

The federal government has earmarked $100 million for the project, but only if the region can prove ridership exists.

Magliari said Amtrak likely doesn't have enough employees to support the pilot project, so the company will look into what it would take to hire and train more crew members.

Because Amtrak's trains from Pontiac to Chicago typically run full, they probably wouldn't be used for the commuter service, meaning other equipment will have to be located, officials said.

It's not clear how much the service would cost. SEMCOG officials say federal funding is a possibility.

"Apparently, there's a great deal of optimism that funding can be located," Magliari said.

Norfolk Southern, which owns the track, also would have to agree to the project. Officials from the Virginia-based company say they're open to the possibility.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /612220449

[Stitch]

What would be even better but totally cost prohibitive(sp) would be to lay the track in the Freeway median kinda like they did in Minn(?), L.A and not use the CSX, NS, CP(GTW) tracks. Go back to an interurban idea. I know it would never happen but one can dream.

[Eric Berger]

This is something I can't see ever getting off the ground either, because wanting to hit Metro Airport is way out of the way.

I *could* see them possibly running to DTW along the old Wabash, then putting in a turnout at Romulus to head north to Wayne on the CSX, then from there head west toward Ann Arbor from there.

BUT...that would never fly either because Wayne always seems to be rather congested, and think of what they'd go through trying to accomodate the passenger trains!

And as far as putting a train in the median of I-94, that's fine and dandy, but you'd have to provide a safe means of getting across the freeway to get to the airport from there...which would take even more money to either dig a tunnel under the freeway, and then think of rerouting portios of I-94 so you could actually build a station in the median! Then where users would park to access said trains would become a whole 'nother can of worms.

Having said the above, I don't believe there's any way they could create a commuter line to go from Detroit to DTW, and on to Ann Arbor. It may be a good idea, but it just isn't feasible.

[TrainWatcher]

Kinda crazy for AMTK to help a competiting company. Maybe when the new service is up, AMTK might pull the Wolverines...... its worth the thought.

But, why use AMTK equipment? Why not get an E8? MARC has 2 or 3, 1 of them ex-PRR, and the Other ex-IC used on the C of NO train that was last run by IC.



How would you like to see one of these rolling down the line again in the Detroit area?? On sale for I believe $25,000. Now, thats cheaper than renting trains from AMTK.

Coaches also on sale at this site: http://www.trains-trams-trolleys.com/home/equipment.htm

some nice stuff that would look good here for a commuter operation.