According to the Detroit Free Press:
"The state has reached a deal to buy 135 miles of track from the Norfolk Southern rail company for $140 million, a crucial step in Michigan’s push for faster passenger rail service between Detroit and Chicago, officials said Wednesday.
The Michigan Department of Transportation said its purchase of track between Kalamazoo and Dearborn was paid for largely with Federal Railroad Administration stimulus funds. State officials said the proposed track upgrades will cut 30 minutes off trips between Detroit and Chicago on Amtrak’s Wolverine and Blue Water lines.
Separately, the U.S. moved ahead with an already approved $196-million grant the state will use to upgrade and expand the tracks so that train speeds can increase to 110 m.p.h. and to ease delays caused by freight train congestion, MDOT said.Overall, the aim is dependable, quicker service between Detroit and Chicago, and economic development along the route, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said."
