Some refurbished commuter rail cars will start test runs in southeast Michigan today.
The stainless steel, bi-level cars will run on tracks between Pontiac and Jackson.
State officials hope the cars will eventually be used for separate commuter rail lines connecting Detroit and Ann Arbor, and Ann Arbor and Livingston County.
Janet Foran is with the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced today it will make available $473 million in road funds to states with pending transportation projects.
In a press release, U.S. Department of Transportation said the money comes from unspent earmarks from FY 2003-2006.
Effective today, state departments of transportation will have the ability to use their unspent earmarked highway funds, some of which are nearly 10 years old, on any eligible highway, transit, passenger rail, or port project.
The Detroit News reports Michigan has $15.8 million in 28 projects that hasn't been spent that the state can redirect.
"It will be up to Michigan how to decide to spend their money," LaHood said.
State departments of transportation will have the ability to use their unspent earmarked highway money, some of which is nearly 10 years old, on any eligible highway, transit, passenger rail, or port project.
The Obama Administration wants the money spent soon. To use the funds, states must identify projects by October 1, and must obligate them by December 31, 2012.
Maximum train speeds on Amtrak's Wolverine and Blue Water lines can increase to 110 m.p.h. on an 80 mile stretch of track between Kalamazoo and Porter, Indiana.
Amtrak and MDOT officials say the higher speed is the fastest allowed outside the Northeast Corridor.
Amtrak's Acela Express train, which travels between Boston and Washington D.C., can reach speeds up to 150 m.p.h.
Approval was given after successful testing of a "positive train control safety system" installed on the tracks.
Update 3:15 p.m. - Workers hope to reopen rail line tomorrow
10 people were injured today when an Amtrak train collided with a semi-truck between Ann Arbor and Jackson. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The accident derailed the train’s engine and two passenger cars. The collision also heavily damaged the tracks and the crossing.
But a company spokesman says they hope to reopen the line by tomorrow morning.
David Pidgeon is a spokesman for Norfolk-Southern, which owns and operates the railroad that runs across southern Michigan.
“Six passenger trains a day use that particular line…and another four to five trains of freight (a day) also use that line," says Pidgeon, "So we need to get that line open…as safely and efficiently as possible.”
While the section of track is being repaired, passengers are making part of their trip by bus.
2:17 p.m. - 10 injured
MLive.com reports that "a total of 10 people were injured" in this morning's Amtrak derailment in Leoni Township.
A westbound Amtrak train collided with a truck this morning between Jackson and Ann Arbor.
There were no life-threatening injuries. The collision left the train’s engine on its side and knocked two passenger cars off the tracks.
Marc Magliari is an Amtrak spokesman. He says Amtrak will bus passengers around the crash site while repairs are under way.
“Passengers who are ticketed …let’s say eastbound passed Jackson…would be taken by chartered motorcoach…to the Ann Arbor station where they’ll meet another train and continue on," says Magliari.
It’s unclear how long it will take to remove the derailed train and repair the damage done to the rails.
About a half million passengers rode on Amtrak’s Wolverine line last year.
Here's video from the Jackson Citizen Patriot speaking with Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety Director Mike Jester:
I have been traveling by air for most of my adult life, and for a few years, flew somewhere at least once a week.
Yet while I took trains in Europe and Japan, it never occurred to me to do so from Detroit. Amtrak, people said, took forever and was a fairly nasty experience; a shabby relic of transportation’s past.
However, air travel has become less and less fun, from the increasingly cramped seats and loss of anything resembling service, and more and more intrusive security procedures.
The 135 miles of rail line from Dearborn to Kalamazoo will be owned by the state of Michigan. The state is purchasing the line from Norfolk Southern Railway with the help of federal stimulus money. Once completed, the upgraded line will increase speeds.
Governor Rick Snyder met with lawmakers, federal officials and the railroad industry yesterday to talk about the future of rail transportation in our state.
Rick Pluta is the State Capitol Bureau Chief for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He was at the Michigan Rail Summit and he joined me to talk more about this.
So Rick, what did the Governor say?
Rick Pluta: Rebecca, the governor is a big fan of rail service. He says it's a big part of the future of the state.
This is what he had to say to this rail summit:
"This isn't about a piece of rail in Michigan. This is about being the centerpiece of a broader logistical connection that goes all the way from St. Louis to Chicago to Detroit and I would like to see it continue on to Toronto and to Montreal."
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