Amtrak customers planning to travel between Chicago and Detroit might need to look for alternate weekday transportation this summer. The rail service provider has announced that because they need to make crucial track improvements, Wolverine Trains 350 and 353 will be temporarily suspended from Monday through Thursday, starting May 6 and continuing through October 18. MLive reports that the services will be limited to Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only during this period.
The upgrades will aim to smooth the curves on the tracks between Jackson and Ypsilanti, a move which is slated to enable the trains to eventually run at faster speeds, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told MLive. "We're working on the curvy part of the railroad to improve travel times through there," he said, explaining the focus on replacing rails and adjusting "superelevation." Despite the inconvenience, the goal is to shave a few minutes off trips. However, detailed information about the locations of the work will be divulged closer to the project's start date.
While the affected Wolverines 350 and 353 won't be running at the beginning of the workweek, trains 351, 352, 354, and 355 will continue to operate as usual. Also not disrupted are Blue Water Trains 364 and 365, which will serve Wolverine stations in southwestern Michigan and maintain their routine schedules, CBS News Detroit noted. Amtrak has assured customers that trains will operate normally on Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
If planning to travel on these affected dates, Amtrak encourages passengers to visit their website for the most updated schedule or to call or text their hotline at 800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245), as stated by WXYZ. As the transportation landscape in Michigan looks to better the future of train travel, commuters are advised to anticipate changes and make necessary arrangements during the improvements.
