Chicago–Detroit Line

The Chicago–Detroit Line is a railroad corridor owned by Amtrak which runs 98 miles (158 km) from Porter, Indiana, to Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is the longest stretch of Amtrak-owned rail outside of the Northeastern U.S., and carries the railroad's Blue Water and Wolverine services. In 2002, this became the first passenger rail line in the United States to have positive train control (PTC) technology installed,^[1] specifically GE Transportation Systems' Incremental Train Control System (ITCS). In 2005, Amtrak received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to run trains at up to 95 miles per hour (153 km/h)^[2] Most Amtrak trains outside of the Northeast are limited to 79 mph (127 km/h) due to federal regulations. The line is currently being upgraded to handle speeds up to 110 miles per hour (180 km/h).^[3]

The route serves Amtrak stations in the cities of Michigan City, Indiana; New Buffalo, Niles, Dowagiac, and Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandates that PTC must be installed across most of the U.S. rail network by 2015,^[4] so many other areas of the country should see similar improvements. However, higher speeds may also require upgrades to the track itself and to grade crossings.

See also

• Southwest Chief – Another Amtrak route that runs at enhanced speeds.

References

1. ^ "Chicago-Detroit Service Levels". National Association of Rail Passengers. http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/resources/more/slevdet/. Retrieved 2010-02-05. 
2. ^ "AGE’s Positive Train Control Technology is Full Speed Ahead on Amtrak’s Michigan Line". General Electric press release. 2005-10-11. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20071025071323/http://www.getransportation.com/na/en/docs/919677_2005_10_ITCS.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-21. 
3. ^ "Amtrak Information & Facts". Amtrak. http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1246041980246. Retrieved 2010-02-05. 
4. ^ Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, full text