Amtrak Michigan: Wolverine, Blue Water, Pere Marquette

Gov Granholm has already signed $7.1 million for Amtrak for FY 2005 which starts Oct 1st 2004 Amtrak needs over $8 million for 2005 the infomation i get is from Rep Hager who saved Amtrak last year in Michigan he wants people to know that Sen Johnson wants to kill Amtrak in Michigan and very few Rep's and Sen will stand up to her.We need to get Amtrak the money for 2005 but Michigan has a cap of $7.1 million that they can give Amtrak.

Here is the conversation I had with Wes in Lauren's Hager's office today.

The Amtrak funding issue has not been resolved and will probably continue right up to the budget deadline which is September 30, or in this case maybe Sept. 29.

The bill is in the Senate right now and that's all we know.
Nobody knows what Senator Johnson will propose, but they think she will do something since she is very anti-Amtrak. They don't know if she will present a substitute to include AMTRAK; not to include AMTRAK; or eliminate AMTRAK. (I guess that covers everything).

The House will meet this Wednesday, Sept. 22 and its unlikely that the issue will get settled. Its a guess that it probably won't get settled, but you never know what might happen because things are unpredictable in the legislature. If it gets settled on Sept. 22, then it will not be necessary for us to attend on Sept. 29, but

we have to wait and see what will happen on Wednesday. So right now Sept. 29 is a scheduled tentative date for a House session.

The House will meet again on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 10:00 a.m. at the Capital. The whole House will be in session on Sept 29. This is not a conference, but a session.

It is suggested that constituents, passengers, employees, friends, and everybody, in-state and out-of-state, who support this train and show up at the whole House session which right now is tentatively scheduled for September 29 at 10:00 a.m. at the Capitol. Since the whole House will be meeting, it is felt that it is critical for the masses to show up at this session. It was mentioned that we really need a big showing to get the message across to the House members who will be voting on this issue on that day.

It was explained to me that while the public is not allowed in the session, the public can be outside the room and can send messages into the room while they are in session and ask questions. (MATT: We need to really stress the importance of being there, even if we can't speak directly to them while they are in session but they will see us there and they will be able to hear us - and we can send them notes telling them to vote for the bill). Wes will give me more details later about what we need to say and how we will do it once we get down there.

We will have to emphasize - voting for the bill - keeping the train - and needing the train. We can continue to contact our legislators, but the feeling is that our presence is what's going to make the difference with these politicians in saving Amtrak. Calling or emailing is not going to be enough.

Excerpt from a September 22 Amtrak Press Release:

Amtrak reports strong ridership on trains serving Michigan, with all
three routes exceeding last year's 12-month totals with a month to go
this fiscal year. The routes include the Wolverine trains between
Detroit/Pontiac and Chicago and the state's two Amtrak trains operated
under contract with Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): the
Grand Rapids-Chicago Pere Marquette and the Port Huron/East
Lansing-Chicago Blue Water.

Encouraging.

It appears that adopting the existing Blue Water schedule was the "right thing" after all.

BNSF 1088 wrote:Excerpt from a September 22 Amtrak Press Release:

Amtrak reports strong ridership on trains serving Michigan, with all
three routes exceeding last year's 12-month totals with a month to go
this fiscal year. The routes include the Wolverine trains between
Detroit/Pontiac and Chicago and the state's two Amtrak trains operated
under contract with Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): the
Grand Rapids-Chicago Pere Marquette and the Port Huron/East
Lansing-Chicago Blue Water.

The Pere Marquette and Blue water trains could still be pulled off on Oct 1st 2004 if the State Of Michigan does not work out funding issues.

Well maybe this will prompt Gov. Gramholm to get the Funding straigtened out.

AmtrakFan

Subject: Michigan Amtrak funding passes--great work!

Excerpt:

To NARP Members in Michigan, October 1, 2004--

The Michigan Senate passed the 2005 Transportation Bill (H.B. 5528) with
$7.2 million for Amtrak: $7.1 million for train operations and $100,000
for marketing. The bill now goes to Governor Granholm, who will sign
it.

The full text

Train 352(10) will be terminated in Jackson with passengers bussed to their destinations due to a chemical fire at wayne, 18 mi. east of ann arbor.

Not sure if this affects other Wolverine trains in Michigan.

I checked amtrak's Train status page, and it appears that all other wolverine trains have been affected by the fire.

According to this equipment roster, all five of the ex-Metroliner "Michigan coaches" are out of service. (These were cars that were similar to the Metroliner cab car conversions, except that the cabs were removed.)

I think that one of these cars was scrapped after a yard mishap in Canada, but what happened with the other four? The reason that I'm surprised to see them out of service is that I had seen at least one of these cars in the new "Phase IVb" color scheme, which I assumed meant a recent overhaul.

Likely the ex-Metroliner coaches were just plain surplus equipment and, considering their array of non-standard parts, were going to be bothersome to maintain. Their 'best use' for Amtrak, considering they are "awash' with surplus A-I's, was their salvage value comprised of the scrap metal and parts that could be 'canibalized' for use on the remaining cab-control cars.

I'd like to point out, again, that just because an equipment gets a new paint scheme does not mean anything about the last time it has gone through any kind of refurbishment or overhaul process.

There are plenty of Amfleet cars out there with their original interiors, yet they have the most recent paint scheme. Same thing with Horizon coaches.

Those ex-Metroliner did have a relatively new interior (I'm guessing late 1990s, but I don't know for sure), but that had been the case even before their last repaint.

I heard from a family friend, Between Kalamazoo and the state line they are upgrading the signals for 110 mph speed. Hows it coming?

Along, and the signals are fine, its the crossings which need upgrades.

I think they're already running at 95 mph there. My question is, when is Illinois going to raise speeds on the Chicago - Springfield route? Those upgrades seem to be lagging.