Hourly trains, linking Michigan's largest cities, would give students greater flexibility to attend the college of their choice - and finish with a degree. The percentage of working-age adults with a post-secondary degree or certification in Michigan is about 51...

Connecting Michigan’s Largest Cities Together
A network of quality trains serving southern Michigan with hourly service would give 80 percent of the state’s population—or 8 million people—easy access to excellent, affordable transportation.
And it would give Michigan a powerful tool for addressing its graduation gap—while also catalyzing growth across the whole economy.
The Path to Prosperity
About 18 million people—or more than 5 percent of the total US population—live in the corridor that includes the cluster of cities south of Grand Rapids, stretching from metro Detroit to metro Chicago.
Outside of the East Coast, nothing in the US is close in terms of economic muscle, educational assets, and affordable housing stock. A network of quality trains would unlock new educational, work, and leisure opportunities for all residents—no matter where they are.
How Do We Get There?
There are three foundational steps for building Michigan’s regional rail network:
- Amtrak’s Wolverine line—which connects Chicago and Detroit via Kalamazoo and Battle Creek—is the backbone. Fortunately, the state and Amtrak already own much of the track, and the line has few freight trains. Michigan has taken initial steps to modernize the Wolverine with track upgrades and faster trains. Hourly service should be the priority.
- Amtrak’s Pere Marquette line—running from Chicago to Grand Rapids—offers just one round-trip run per day. The state should buy the railroad from CSX all the way from Porter, IN through Grand Rapids to Detroit and upgrade it for hourly departures.
- Filling in several north-south segments with either shuttle trains or buses would complete the network.

The tool for achieving these goals is the Federal Railroad Administration’s new Corridor ID program. Much of this network is already in the program. Now, Michigan DOT needs to take a network approach, including hourly departures, coordinated schedules, and integrated fares
Part of a statewide network
This is just one piece of what should be an aggressive program to link the state with affordable trains and expanded bus lines.
A comprehensive plan is the key to making all of this work: fast trains, frequent service, coordinated schedules, fixed bottlenecks, and a new railroad hub. California is the first to do such a plan, and Michigan should follow their lead.
Please take a moment and let state leaders know: We need a statewide transportation plan that moves us well beyond the same old same old.


Ask Governor Whitmer and your legislators to make regional rail a priority
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