Amtrak train service in Michigan halted for five days

Amtrak halts Michigan train service. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Amtrak will be stopping train service to Michigan for five days during September because of old coaling tower demolition on main lines. It will inconvenience riders on the trains between Chicago, Detroit, Pontiac, and Port Huron.

Why demolition works halt train service?

Crews will be dismantling 100-foot coaling towers at Michigan City, Indiana, and Augusta, Michigan. These imposing structures that were formerly used to fuel coal into steam locomotives are located above the track and will require the trains to be completely halted to be safely removed.

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After the steam engines were phased out in the 1950s, the towers were useless and abandoned as industrial landmarks. Now they also pose a safety hazard, looming over busy passageways, so it is a priority both to rail and vehicular transport to have the towers removed.

Historical background of coaling towers

Other such towers also exist elsewhere in the United States. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Coal Tipple in Grand Haven, Michigan, is also located on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, a 1922-constructed concrete coaling tower has been preserved as a component of the past history of the industrial sector and is also a tourist attraction.

But in Indiana and Michigan, the handful of remaining towers is one of the last remnants of steam-age railroad infrastructure, and both their disappearance and their survival have been issues of safety necessity and historic controversy.

Amtrak options during the suspension

Blue Water Line between Chicago and Port Huron that goes by Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Flint will be replaced by bus service between September 15 and 19. However, the service will be delayed since buses cannot operate at the same speeds as trains.

The Wolverine Line that usually has three daily operations between Pontiac and Chicago with stops along the Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Jackson routes will be reduced to one round-trip bus service. Therefore, Train 351 from Pontiac and Train 352 from Chicago will be solely covered.

Also, the Pere Marquette Line connecting Grand Rapids to Chicago will be left untouched. Amtrak also got state preservation bodies and legislatures’ approval before it started the demolition.

Effect on passengers and railway employees

State Senator Sean McCann of Kalamazoo criticized the last-minute notification, warning that commuters could be left stranded and railway workers could be facing unpaid down time. The notification came on September 3, just days before the closure began.

Demolition follows Amtrak’s November 2024 announcement of service disruptions. “We will be deconstructing these towers in a way that will protect the highway and the tracks,” spokesperson Marc Magliari detailed, outlining the complexity of the task.

Where to obtain tickets when services resume?

After the resumption of train operations, tickets may be purchased on Amtrak.com, the Amtrak mobile app, at station ticketing offices, automated ticketing kiosks, and by phone via the Amtrak service center.

Source: mlive.com

Why is Amtrak suspending service in Michigan for five days?

Amtrak will be closing the line to safely demolish historic coaling towers at Michigan City and Augusta. Demolition requires a full closure to accommodate the safety of the employees and the traveling public.

Which Amtrak routes will be the most impacted by the shutdown?

Blue Water and Wolverine Lines will be the most affected, with buses substituted instead of trains between Chicago, Port Huron, and Pontiac. There will be no interruption on the Pere Marquette Line.

Options made available to passengers during the period of service suspension

Passengers have the option of taking buses on train timetables offered by Amtrak. However, the trips will be slower and may be delayed since buses will be slower than trains.

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