Amtrak Starts Midwest High-Speed Train Service

High-speed rail service in America began on Wednesday, with the inauguration of 110 mph service between Chicago and Kalamazoo. The speed increase will shave 10 to 20 minutes off trips along the line, and Amtrak is planning on expanding the high-speed service from Kalamazoo to the rest of Michigan over the next three years. When the line is completed, the Detroit-Chicago trip will be nearly two hours shorter.

Other expansions of the high-speed program planned for the Midwest Corridor will link the Twin Cities to Chicago, and Detroit and St. Louis, ultimately providing 20% of Americans access to the rail lines.

The high-speed rail program is a result of President Obama’s initiative to modernize American transportation and create new jobs. The rail expansion was funded by $2.5 billion of a six-year, $47 billion rail plan that was included in Obama’s budget.

(Pictured: Amtrak train passes through Galien, Michigan at 110-mph – Courtesy of MDOT)