All aboard!
Residents discuss the pros, cons of area public transportation
Elizabeth Huff
The Enquirer
(see photos in link)
Belching smoke and blasting its horn, the afternoon Amtrak train rolled into Battle Creek station Sunday covered in soot and a bit later than planned.
An employee said signal problems in Comstock delayed the train. Passengers waiting to board in Battle Creek said they ride Amtrak's Wolverine Service trains between Detroit and Chicago because they are clean inside, comfortable and convenient — but it's best to plan for some tarrying.
"I usually expect it to be 15 minutes late," said Trevor LaFountain, a 23-year-old art student at the University of Michigan. He waited an extra 45 minutes Sunday to board the eastbound No. 352 train back to Ann Arbor.
Currently Amtrak uses rail through Battle Creek owned by Norfolk, Va.-based Norfolk Southern Corp. The Class One railroad announced in July that it intends to pass ownership and maintenance duties of this section stretching between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor to Pittsburg, Kan.-based Watco Cos. Inc.,
pending federal approval.
Officials are concerned, however, that the shortline Watco will not be able to keep the section of rail at Amtrak speed standards, causing further delays for riders. Plans to create a high speed corridor commuters can depend on for quick and timely travel could be stalled or derailed entirely.
Carlos Tonsil, 60, of Battle Creek waited for the tardy train with his cousin, who uses Amtrak once every couple months to visit family. He said the longest delays seem to be caused by animals on the tracks or coordination troubles with freight train schedules.
His cousin, 58-year-old Duane Scott of Detroit, said he still prefers trains instead of planes, which are usually more expensive, and buses, which don't allow passengers to get up and walk around. He doesn't particularly like driving, either.
"I don't want to drive by myself through all the craziness," he said, referring to highway travel.
Many people turn to Amtrak for travel to and from Battle Creek; 54,238 passengers boarded and alighted in the Cereal City in fiscal 2006. The number of riders increased from 47,785 in fiscal 2005.
Wendy Slone, a Marshall resident who waited with a paperback in hand for her daughter to arrive after flying in to Chicago, said the trains are often full coming and going through Battle Creek.
"It's always been basically full," she said. "I'm sure a lot of people depend on it."
Watco's chief commercial officer, Ed McKechnie, said his company plans to invest millions into fixing up the rail line over the first few years of ownership, which could reduce delays overall.
Pat Clark, 22, of Novi said he uses Amtrak to visit family in Battle Creek because it keeps the miles off his vehicle and he saves on gasoline. Because he has a car, he doesn't have to bank on trains to travel — he'd be able to drive or take a bus if Amtrak service worsened or stopped altogether.
But for people like LaFountain, who has no car of his own, dependable public transportation is a necessity.
"It's way more reliable that asking a friend to drive," he said.
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps ... 002/NEWS01
Michael Moore's film on Flint didn't do Flint any favors either.