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Blue Water is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The 319-mile (513 km) line connects Port Huron, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois.
It was inaugurated by Amtrak in 1974 to run between the two cities. Between 1982 and 2004, this route was replaced by International Limited, and was operated jointly by Canadian VIA Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto. On April 25, 2004, International Limited was discontinued by Amtrak due to decreasing ridership. Amtrak restored service between Chicago and Port Huron with Blue Water. VIA Rail still operates trains on the former International Limited route as far west as Sarnia, which is across the border from Port Huron. Blue Water is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Transportation.[1]
[edit] Route details
The Blue Water operates over Norfolk Southern Railway, Amtrak, and Grand Trunk Western Railroad trackage:
[edit] High-speed rail
The Detroit-Chicago corridor has been designated by the Federal Railroad Administration as a high-speed rail corridor.[2] A 97-mile stretch along the route of Blue Water from Porter, Indiana to Kalamazoo, Michigan is the longest segment of track owned by Amtrak outside of the Northeast Corridor.[2] Amtrak began speed increases along this stretch in January 2002. Ultimately, speed increases to 110 mile-per-hour service are planned.[2][3]
[edit] Airport connections
At the Chicago end of the line, riders may easily connect to either O'Hare International Airport or Midway International Airport, using nearby CTA stations. For O'Hare, riders should walk to the Clinton CTA station and ride the Blue line, which operates 24 hours a day. For Midway, riders should walk to the Quincy/Wells CTA station and ride the Orange line.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
