ANN ARBOR, MI – The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding nearly $15.6 to Michigan to improve rail infrastructure between Ypsilanti and Jackson.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, announced the federal grant award to the Michigan Department of Transportation on Friday, Oct. 23.
It will fund work to replace 80,000 feet of rail, rehab 42 horizontal curves and make safety enhancements at 16 public and eight private at-grade crossings on the state-owned rail corridor that passes through Ann Arbor, Dingell’s office said.
“The future of mobility includes a strong rail network. This major grant will help make needed enhancements and safety improvements to an important stretch of railroad infrastructure between Ypsilanti and Jackson,” she said in a statement
“This critical support lays the track to establish intercity passenger trains in the region that provides safe, dependable, and accessible services. By working together at the federal, state and local level we can make smart investments and build a better future for railroad transit in Michigan.”
The grant will help improve Amtrak’s Wolverine corridor, which runs between Detroit and Chicago with a stop in Ann Arbor, making the route safer for passengers, said MDOT Director Paul Ajegba, a former Ann Arbor transit board member.
“We are appreciative of Rep. Dingell’s efforts as we work to implement higher speeds and more efficient travel between Chicago and Detroit,” Ajegba said in a statement.
The funds come from the Federal Transit Administration’s State of Good Repair program, which are distributed to state and local governments in urban areas for repairs and upgrades to rail and bus rapid transit systems at least seven years old.
Outside of Amtrak’s northeast corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., Michigan supports the only American rail corridor offering passenger train speeds of 110 miles per hour, and the grant will help with completing 136 miles of track with speeds up to 110 mph, Dingell’s office said.
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