Comments urged on Amtrak service to Detroit

**DetroitPlanner** · September-22-14, 08:23 AM

The Michigan Department of Transportation is soliciting comments on the High Speed Rail Corridor that services Detroit, Dearborn, Pontiac, Birmingham, and Ann Arbor.

http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,...7870--,00.html

**rex** · September-22-14, 02:36 PM

we need track to Toledo. Only reason i havent taken the train out east is having to take a bus to toledo. So i would hop on in Royal Oak. Jump off in Detroit and take a bus to Toledo and then hop on an eastbound train? Unacceptable

**DetroitPlanner** · September-22-14, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by rex

we need track to Toledo. Only reason i havent taken the train out east is having to take a bus to toledo. So i would hop on in Royal Oak. Jump off in Detroit and take a bus to Toledo and then hop on an eastbound train? Unacceptable

Let them know! Makes sense to me.

**mtburb** · September-22-14, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by rex

we need track to Toledo. Only reason i havent taken the train out east is having to take a bus to toledo. So i would hop on in Royal Oak. Jump off in Detroit and take a bus to Toledo and then hop on an eastbound train? Unacceptable

Problem solved.

**Bucket** · September-22-14, 06:28 PM

100% in support of this. However, it feels like a lost opportunity to leverage federal/state funds to repurchase Michigan Central and restore it to use as Detroit's Amtrak station. Imagine the Wolverine route bookended by Union Station in Chicago and Michigan Central in Detroit...

**ghettopalmetto** · September-23-14, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by rex

we need track to Toledo. Only reason i havent taken the train out east is having to take a bus to toledo. So i would hop on in Royal Oak. Jump off in Detroit and take a bus to Toledo and then hop on an eastbound train? Unacceptable

I've thought this for a long time. There's no reason Detroit [[and Ann Arbor) shouldn't be connected to Toledo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh by passenger rail service. Unfortunately, you'd need to also convince Ohio Gov. John "Echo Chamber" Kasich and the rail-hostile Ohio Department of Transportation.

**Don K** · September-24-14, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bucket

100% in support of this. However, it feels like a lost opportunity to leverage federal/state funds to repurchase Michigan Central and restore it to use as Detroit's Amtrak station. Imagine the Wolverine route bookended by Union Station in Chicago and Michigan Central in Detroit...

I for one would love to see MCS restored to something approaching its former splendor, but remember why it was abandoned by Amtrak in the first place - it's a really expensive building to keep maintained/heated based on usage by three trains/day. In addition, the location of the present Amshack allows continuation of the line to RO, Bham, and Pontiac. I'm not sure you could do that using MCS without a long backing move out of MCS, which would slow things down considerably.

**Don K** · September-24-14, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by rex

we need track to Toledo. Only reason i havent taken the train out east is having to take a bus to toledo. So i would hop on in Royal Oak. Jump off in Detroit and take a bus to Toledo and then hop on an eastbound train? Unacceptable

Well. besides the changes of modes, the timing of the connections really, really, sucks. Leave RO at 6:00 pm, arrive Detroit 6:20, leave Detroit on the bus at 9:45, arrive Toledo 10:50, eastbound Lake Shore leaves Toledo at 3:20 am. So that means 7:55 of sitting around and waiting. Not my idea of a good time. I'd love to be able to take a train back east, but what we've got ain't it. Is there any place for dinner within walking distance of the New Center Amshack?

**Gpwrangler** · September-25-14, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by Don K

Well. besides the changes of modes, the timing of the connections really, really, sucks. Leave RO at 6:00 pm, arrive Detroit 6:20, leave Detroit on the bus at 9:45, arrive Toledo 10:50, eastbound Lake Shore leaves Toledo at 3:20 am. So that means 7:55 of sitting around and waiting. Not my idea of a good time. I'd love to be able to take a train back east, but what we've got ain't it. Is there any place for dinner within walking distance of the New Center Amshack?

Detroit to Toledo: 1 hour by car. Jump on train out east. Layover: zero. Problem solved!

**DetroitPlanner** · September-25-14, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by Gpwrangler

Detroit to Toledo: 1 hour by car. Jump on train out east. Layover: zero. Problem solved!

What if you don't have a car? There are lots of assumptions in your statement. Suppose the Toldeo station has no parking or is located in an area with high car theft? Then what do you do?

**dtowncitylover** · September-25-14, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Gpwrangler

Detroit to Toledo: 1 hour by car. Jump on train out east. Layover: zero. Problem solved!

And who wants to drive at 2 in the morning down to Toledo?

**Gpwrangler** · September-25-14, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What if you don't have a car? There are lots of assumptions in your statement. Suppose the Toldeo station has no parking or is located in an area with high car theft? Then what do you do?

Then you would need to look at the bus/layover option. Inconvenient, but necessary if you have no car.

Toledo station is not too bad and has parking.

**Gpwrangler** · September-25-14, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

And who wants to drive at 2 in the morning down to Toledo?

I've done it for work plenty of times. Not to catch a train but if I'm going further down. Not a bad drive at 2 am.

**iheartthed** · September-25-14, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Gpwrangler

I've done it for work plenty of times. Not to catch a train but if I'm going further down. Not a bad drive at 2 am.

Then you have to make the same drive home in the middle of the night after a 24 hour train ride from the east coast.

**professorscott** · September-25-14, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by rex

we need track to Toledo. Only reason i havent taken the train out east is having to take a bus to toledo. So i would hop on in Royal Oak. Jump off in Detroit and take a bus to Toledo and then hop on an eastbound train? Unacceptable

Although it is likely this would be deemed outside the scope of the project, it is worth bringing up to MDOT. More broadly, I would say we need better non-car access to the stations along the route and better connections between stations and nearby cities. The issue of timing is also worthwhile to mention, and much more easily solved.