Governor Granholm last Thursday announced the state will receive $40 million from the U.S. Transportation Department to fund high-speed rail development.
"This Recovery Act funding for high-speed rail along the Pontiac-Detroit-Chicago corridor is a victory for Michigan and the Midwest," Granholm commented. "The national highway system took decades to construct, and a high-speed rail network to all corners of the region will take time. Indiana and Illinois will use these dollars to untangle the knot of freight and passenger lines that slow traffic just beyond Michigan's border -- a necessary first step for the ultimate success of a Michigan route. The funding will give us a head start toward our high-speed rail future, funding key improvements to stations in Battle Creek, Troy and Dearborn."
Michigan's portion of the $244 million in high-speed rail grants to states comprising the Pontiac-Detroit-Chicago corridor will fund construction of a new building and platform at the Dearborn Amtrak station, construction of a new platform and passenger service facilities at the Troy station, and renovation of the building and passenger service facilities in Battle Creek.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama said these grants will "put Americans to work building the infrastructure of tomorrow." In Michigan's case, there are other specific benefits. Working on the railroad will, for example, give the state experience working on rail projects that could take advantage of resident engineering talent and labor pool during a push to diversify its industrial base. Some analysts believe light rail, in particular, holds great promise for Michigan. Also, the availability of high-speed rail options between transportation hubs in Detroit and Chicago will eventually be a recruiting and retention bonus for Michigan employers. Employers in Kalamazoo, for example, have faced tougher times traveling job candidates and existing employees since United airlines stopped serving AZO last fall. Reliable rail services would only help improve access to these employers, and for these employers to transportation hubs.
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