Michigan’s latest transportation budget continues to miss out on serious rail opportunities
Earlier this month, the Michigan House passed its transportation budget for FY 2025-2026, and for anyone who wants to take the train, it’s extremely disappointing.
Of the total $10.2 billion package, 76% will go to road and bridge programs, with a meager 1.8% allocated for passenger and freight rail combined.
Now don’t get us wrong—we prefer our bridges safe. But by continuing to relegate passenger rail commitment to the sidelines while increasing its investment in roads, Michigan will never be able to build the regional rail network it needs to bring its transportation system into the 21st century.
The bones for this network are already in plain sight.
Demand for current Michigan Services routes is high—the Wolverine between Chicago and Detroit is often sold out. But this route only operates three round trips per day. Meanwhile, both the Pere Marquette to Grand Rapids and the Blue Water to Port Huron offer just one daily trip in each direction.
The Michigan Legislature needs to invest in upgrading the frequency of all its routes to hourly service.
Furthermore, the current rail network needs to expand to other parts of state, and several proposed rail corridors would achieve this. You can learn more about our comprehensive rail vision for Michigan at our Michigan page or by downloading our PDF brochure.
Conditions are ripe to get building, and Michigan should start investing in this network today.
18 million people live between Chicago and Detroit. The region is home to several major universities and the state capital. It is an economic powerhouse. Plus, with MDOT and Amtrak owning most of the Wolverine right-of-way, Michigan has an advantage over most parts of the country, where track ownership rests primarily with private freight companies.
Tell your legislators and Governor Whitmer to make passenger rail a priority in Michigan today by filling out this form.
