Amtrak Midwest: What Will It Become?

[WesternNation]

As I’m sure you all are aware, the new Siemens Chargers that are being deployed from Chicago are being painted with the new Amtrak Midwest brand. My question is: what services are and will be covered by this brand? I know that most if not all of the current services are incorporated (Hiawatha, Blue Water, Wolverine, Lincoln, Illini, Saluki, Pere Marquette, Illinois Zephyr, Sandburg, etc.) but what else? Are we looking at a large expansion of the corridor services out of and around the Chicago hub such as a fourth Wolverine pair, a second Blue Water and Pere Marquette, etc? Is this merely a rebranding?

I’m all for a major expansion of corridor service to places like MSP, Omaha, the Quad Cities, etc. It’s part of the reason I want to join Amtrak post-college: to be a part of making that expansion happen. But there seems to be a distinct lack of solid information from Amtrak and nothing but hopes from the various rail advocacy groups.

Thoughts? Where would you like to see expanded/new corridor service?

[Anthony]

Rockford and Peoria need service too. I just heard today that there are early efforts to revive interest in bringing Amtrak back to Rockford by collecting signatures on a petition to put a nonbinding referendum to restore passenger rail to Rockford on the ballot in this November's gubernatorial election. I haven't heard anything much about similar interest in Peoria, however.

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[WesternNation]

Rockford and Peoria need service too. I just heard today that there are early efforts to revive interest in bringing Amtrak back to Rockford by collecting signatures on a petition to put a nonbinding referendum to restore passenger rail to Rockford on the ballot in this November's gubernatorial election. I haven't heard anything much about similar interest in Peoria, however.

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The old Rockford train was called the Black Hawk, right?

Was there any Amtrak service to or through Peoria way back?

[Rockingham Racer]

Yes is the answer to both of those questions. Amtrak had service to Peoria via Champaign on the CN/IC IIRC.

[CHTT1]

The short-lived Prairie Marksman ran on the former GM&O and TP&W to East Peoria.

[CHTT1]

As far as Midwest service is concerned, I think the long-awaited Chicago-Quad Cities route will eventually be launched.
Chicago-Rockford was in the planning stages before Pat Quinn lost to Bruce Rauner. All rail service planning and work has crawled along ever since due to the state's multiple financial crises.
Sometime, hopefully in this century, the Chicago-St Louis high speed service will begin.
Chicago-Carbondale service needs to be shaken up with somebody talking tough with CN.

Minnesota seems interested in a second Chicago-Twin Cities train that Wisconsin may support and expanded Chicago-Milwaukee service will be started after all those North Suburbanites quit rattling their pearls over a couple of sidings in Glenview and Lake Forest.

I don't see Wisconsin going along with anything else, although Madison and Green Bay deserve service.

Michigan is looking at a "coast to coast" Holland-Grand Rapids-Lansing-Detroit service and I imagine additional frequencies on Chicago-Detroit.

Indiana needs Chicago-Indy and maybe Indy-Cincinnati and Indy-Louisville, but progress is always slow in Hoosier Land.

Iowa seems uninterested in any train service.

[Arborwayfan]

I would settle for guaranteed-connection thruway buses from Terre Haute to suitable stations -- in Illinois or in Indiana.

[WesternNation]

As far as Midwest service is concerned, I think the long-awaited Chicago-Quad Cities route will eventually be launched.
Chicago-Rockford was in the planning stages before Pat Quinn lost to Bruce Rauner. All rail service planning and work has crawled along ever since due to the state's multiple financial crises.
Sometime, hopefully in this century, the Chicago-St Louis high speed service will begin.
Chicago-Carbondale service needs to be shaken up with somebody talking tough with CN.

Minnesota seems interested in a second Chicago-Twin Cities train that Wisconsin may support and expanded Chicago-Milwaukee service will be started after all those North Suburbanites quit rattling their pearls over a couple of sidings in Glenview and Lake Forest.

I don't see Wisconsin going along with anything else, although Madison and Green Bay deserve service.

Michigan is looking at a "coast to coast" Holland-Grand Rapids-Lansing-Detroit service and I imagine additional frequencies on Chicago-Detroit.

Indiana needs Chicago-Indy and maybe Indy-Cincinnati and Indy-Louisville, but progress is always slow in Hoosier Land.

Iowa seems uninterested in any train service.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the Michigan developments (being from MI myself), and I can say that the expanded PM would be worth it. When I was at MSU, there were a lot of people who wanted to go to Detroit or GR but there was no direct service and they were either stuck driving or taking the bus.

I was giving it some thought last night about how it would all work out, if it was possible with the current equipment assigned for the PM, and I can’t think of one except for flipping 370 and 371, where 370 leaves Chicago in the morning, lays over in GR for an hour, heads to Detroit via Lansing and then returns, lays over for another hour, and then heads to Chicago. Times to and from Chicago probably wouldn’t be great and delays could pretty much collapse the whole operation. I believe two captive trainsets, one assigned CHI-GR and the other assigned DET-GR would be the answer. Problem with that would be that the second trainsets would be isolated from Chicago which means a maintenance base would need to be established in Detroit, and the best candidate with existing infrastructure (mostly) is now owned by Ford.

I’d also like to see an additional pair of Blue Waters and maybe an additional pair of Wolverines that travel from Chicago to Toledo and provide a rail connection to the LSL and CL. Ideally I’d like the LSL rerouted up here and then to Toledo but that is a bit of a pipe dream.

[Rockingham Racer]

Here's the thing about Wisconsin: there hasn't been a big hue and cry from the people of Wisconsin asking for service, has there? Until there is, the leadership will stay the current course.

You could probably put Indiana and Ohio in the same boat.

[WesternNation]

...Chicago-Carbondale service needs to be shaken up with somebody talking tough with CN...

393 departed CHI on time and got to Homewood almost two hours late....it amazes me that the Blue Water isn't that late too.

[Tadman]

It's not going to be anything if they can't get the trains out on time. It boggles the mind how the Wolverines are still ridiculously late and rarely top 90mph despite all the darn money we threw at that system. WTF happened to that new main in Northwest Indiana that seems to do no good at all?

It just took us an hour to get out of Chicago. I might as well drive. What a crock of sh**t.

[John_Perkowski]

Count yourselves lucky. I remember folks in Kansas trying to get an extension of the heartland flyer at the beginning of the obama administration. The advocates did not understand the process, did not understand compliance with the RFP, and just plain flung their idea into a grave.

At least folks in Illinois think about passenger rail as a mode.

[Mackensen]

It's not going to be anything if they can't get the trains out on time. It boggles the mind how the Wolverines are still ridiculously late and rarely top 90mph despite all the darn money we threw at that system. WTF happened to that new main in Northwest Indiana that seems to do no good at all?

It just took us an hour to get out of Chicago. I might as well drive. What a crock of sh**t.

It would probably be worth contemplating what the Wolverines would look like right now if those things hadn't been done. In related news, Norfolk Southern is under fire for an operating situation that is moving from bad to worse.

[WesternNation]

It's not going to be anything if they can't get the trains out on time. It boggles the mind how the Wolverines are still ridiculously late and rarely top 90mph despite all the darn money we threw at that system. WTF happened to that new main in Northwest Indiana that seems to do no good at all?

It just took us an hour to get out of Chicago. I might as well drive. What a crock of sh**t.

It would probably be worth contemplating what the Wolverines would look like right now if those things hadn't been done. In related news, Norfolk Southern is under fire for an operating situation that is moving from bad to worse.

This is true. The operating situation could be far worse if the upgrades hadn't been done.

I'm starting to notice a pattern in the delays. 352 leaves Chicago on time, but then hits massive delays before NBU, indicating delays on NS. In fact, TransitDocs shows 352 being held just before the state line next to the Chicago Skyway yesterday. The 24th was even worse, with NS holding 352 twice between Chicago and NBU. Today, 352 wasn't stopped but proceeded at/under 20 MPH between the state line and Burns Harbor.

The delays for EB trains appear to originate with NS and then for one reason or another, they're not able to make up time en route. I've noticed that most of the EB trains that were late or held in some fashion on NS continued to lose time between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor. The only interference between Kzoo and AA that wouldn't be from Amtrak would be Grand Elk in KAL and perhaps some NS action. A perfect example would be today, when 352 lost another 45 minutes between JXN and ARB. I'm not sure if Amtrak is doing work out that way or what, but someone needs to take a good look at the operational picture on the Michigan Line. Talk to crews, look at the data, and find out where the delays are most frequently occurring and why. If NS is to blame for the domino effect, hold them to the fire to fix it. If MOW crews are interfering, find a way to do the work without delaying trains, or at least keep delays as small as possible.

[Tadman]

This is true, the worst problems happen between CUS and Gary. That said, it's infuriating to be east of Porter on 110mph lines doing 20. WTF man, not cool.

I'm shifting back to South Shore for the summer, and I even drove into the city last week. I just don't have time to screw with this.