Amtrak may reroute lines through city

By Jon Zemke

Daily Staff Reporter

In an effort to open itself up to a wider passenger base, Amtrak announced plans last week to route trips from Chicago to New York City and Chicago to Toronto through Ann Arbor.

"These are visions for the future," said Clifford Black, Amtrak's director of public affairs. "They will eventually take place, exactly when I don't know."

Although Black said these plans are tentative, he expects them to materialize within the next few years.

The rerouting will add stops in Ann Arbor and Dearborn, while eliminating stops in Lansing, Durand, Lapeer, Flint and Port Huron for the Westbound Lakes Cities and the Westbound Wolverine routes.

"There are great offerings for Ann Arbor, but not right now," Black said. "Amtrak has long-term plans to significantly increase train service to Ann Arbor, Toronto and New York."

Ann Arbor residents who want to take the International Route to Toronto have to board at the Windsor station, because the Chicago to Toronto route passes through Port Huron. The Ann Arbor station is not part of the direct route between the Lake Shore Limited route from Chicago to New York.

Amtrak may also create a Twilight Express, which would connect Chicago and New York City via the Toronto route through upstate New York. "We plan, as a vision, to operate an overnight train from Chicago to New York with stops in Ann Arbor and Dearborn," Black said. "It would go through Canada, but it wouldn't make any stops."

The stops in upstate New York would include Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany on the way to New York City. Amtrak estimates the Chicago to New York trip would take one day.

Passengers had mixed feelings on the new route changes. University alum Joe Griffith was critical of the route changes. "That's where I am from (Flint), and quite a few people are upset about that," Griffith said. "And they're raising prices too, so they're not too happy about that either."

Griffith also spoke about the numerous people from the mid-section of Michigan's lower peninsula that were going to be inconvenienced by the route changes.

"I know a lot of people from up there are going to have to come down here to go to Toronto and New York, and from what I hear they're not too happy with that," Griffith said.

Other passengers applauded the rerouting, saying it would be a convenience to residents in southern Michigan.

"It would be great to hop a train to New York," Eastern Michigan University alum Steve Burlison said. "If it's faster and saves money, I would take the train the more often."

PETER CORNUE/Daily

An Amtrak train arrives at the Ann Arbor station yesterday. Certain routes may be changed to go through Ann Arbor.