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St. Joe Backs Resolution for Amtrak Passenger Rail Connection at New Buffalo

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Amtrak passengers moving through Southwest Michigan could see faster travel on a portion of their trip to and from Chicago and also gain access to eastbound routes out of New Buffalo if a rail engineering study paves the way for those enhancements, and the City of St. Joseph has thrown their support behind the concept.

City Commissioners tonight, Monday, July 27th, issued unanimous approval to a resolution supporting an environmental and engineering study for a proposed New Buffalo passenger rail connection.

Amtrak’s Pere Marquette passenger rail has operated for better than 25 years now along the rail corridor connecting Grand Rapids and Chicago, as well as the cities of St. Joseph, Holland and Bangor.

Plans for a rail connection built in New Buffalo connecting CSX tracks from our area to Amtrak rails would allow the Pere Marquette trains to operate on Amtrak-owned 110 mph service tracks between New Buffalo and Porter, Indiana, resulting in better intercity passenger rail service.

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Upon completion, a rail connection at New Buffalo would also allow the New Buffalo Amtrak Station to serve Pere Marquette service passengers, increasing the intercity passenger rail options for those using the New Buffalo Amtrak Station, including allowing the station to serve as a hub for Pere Marquette passengers to switch to the Wolverine/Blue Water services to access points east in Michigan west to Chicago, while also allowing passengers on those service lines to gain access to St. Joseph, Holland, Bangor and Grand Rapids.

The environmental and engineering study is a necessary step prior to establishing a rail connection in New Buffalo linking the service lines and tonight, St. Joseph officially endorsed and supported the ultimate creation of that rail connection in New Buffalo.

St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey has been in communication with the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and the Strategic Leadership Council regarding the advancement of the concept. If the project advances, a partnership between MDOT, Amtrak, and local communities and organizations would seek federal funding to keep moving forward. Stay tuned.