SEMCOG Commuter Rail
Encyclopedia
SEMCOG Commuter Rail is a proposed 38.5 miles (62 km) regional rail
link along Amtrak
's Wolverine
between the cities of Ann Arbor
and Detroit, Michigan
with stops at new or existing stations in Ann Arbor, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
, Ypsilanti, Dearborn, and New Center
. The project would connect with the proposed Woodward Avenue Light Rail
line. SEMCOG would lease the rail cars from the Great Lakes Central Railroad.
service until 1988.
In May 2009 SEMCOG commissioned a $200,000 study to determine whether commuter trains could operate along the same corridor as Amtrak
intercity passenger trains and freight trains.
, Dearborn and the New Center
area in Detroit.
bi-level gallery-type cars as the passenger cars and the locomotive is going to be EMD F59PH.
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
link along Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Wolverine
Wolverine (passenger train)
The Wolverine is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The line provides three daily round-trips along the Pontiac–Detroit–Chicago route...
between the cities of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
with stops at new or existing stations in Ann Arbor, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
, Ypsilanti, Dearborn, and New Center
Detroit (Amtrak station)
Detroit is an Amtrak station located in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It is served by the . The station was built in 1994 as a replacement for the former Michigan Central Station, which closed in 1988...
. The project would connect with the proposed Woodward Avenue Light Rail
Woodward Avenue Light Rail
Woodward Avenue Light Rail is a 9.3 mi proposed light rail line to run along Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The line is the first part of a $10.5 billion, 25-year plan to develop a regional mass transit system that is to include light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail...
line. SEMCOG would lease the rail cars from the Great Lakes Central Railroad.
History
Detroit previously had commuter rail service. Until 1983, SEMTA operated Grand Trunk Western Railroad's former service between downtown Detroit, and Pontiac, Michigan. Penn Central's Michigan Executive, between the Michigan Central depot and Ann Arbor, operated as an AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
service until 1988.
In May 2009 SEMCOG commissioned a $200,000 study to determine whether commuter trains could operate along the same corridor as Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
intercity passenger trains and freight trains.
Service
The service is proposed to operate four round-trips during each weekday between Detroit and Ann Arbor and three daily round-trips on weekends. An end-to-end ride would take about 50 minutes, and there would be stops at Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
, Dearborn and the New Center
New Center, Detroit
The New Center is a significant commercial and residential historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, adjacent to Midtown, one mile north of the Cultural Center, and approximately three miles north of Downtown...
area in Detroit.
Rolling stock
The rolling stock will most likely be Nippon SharyoNippon Sharyo
, , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2004. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange...
bi-level gallery-type cars as the passenger cars and the locomotive is going to be EMD F59PH.
See also
- WALLY (commuter rail)WALLY (commuter rail)WALLY is a proposed commuter rail service which would link the Michigan cities of Ann Arbor and Howell.- Proposal :...
- Transportation in metropolitan DetroitTransportation in metropolitan DetroitTransportation in metropolitan Detroit is provided by a comprehensive system of transit services, airports, and an advanced network of freeways which interconnect the city and region. The Michigan Department of Transportation administers the region's network of major roads and freeways...
- Southeast MichiganSoutheast MichiganSoutheast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are concentrated in Metro...