New Study Will Look at Possible Rail Line from Ann Arbor to Traverse City

A study will examine the possibility of building a passenger rail between Northern and Southeast Michigan.

A new study will look into the feasibility of a passenger rail line connecting Ann Arbor to Traverse City and Petoskey.

Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities is launching the effort in the fall. The group will look at the cost…and if there is a community need for the line.

Executive Director Hans Voss says existing rail lines…could make the project feasible.

“There is an existing rail line that’s in place that operates freight every day and the tracks are in very good condition,” Voss says. “In fact, two-thirds of the tracks in their existing condition would accommodate passenger rails going 60 miles per hour.”

Voss says the study will also determine what other upgrades would need to happen to make the rail line possible.

He says the study will take about eight to ten months to complete. 

Author

  • Bre'Anna Tinsley
    Bre'Anna Tinsley is a reporter for Detroit Public Radio, 101.9 WDET. She covers city government and housing, as well as co-hosting the "Detroit Evening Report" podcast.