Amtrak Increases Train Speeds to 110 MPH in Parts of Michigan

Prior to today, I had absolutely no idea how fast trains were allowed to go in Michigan. If you asked me to guess, I would have said around 70 mph, and I would have been close with that guess. Apparently, most Amtrak trains outside of the Northeast are limited to 79 mph due to federal regulations.

Well, it looks like Amtrak is about to pick up some speed in Parts of Michigan. According to The Detroit News, Amtrak announced Monday it will increase the maximum speed of its trains along a 45-mile stretch between Kalamazoo and Albion next week and restore an additional Pontiac/Detroit-Chicago Wolverine Service round trip this summer (July 19).

The train service can run at up to 110 miles per hour on an Amtrak-owned track between Porter, Ind., and Kalamazoo. That's a hell of a lot faster than the previous max speed of 79 mph.

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State Transportation Director Paul Ajegba statement:

Michigan will have the first state-owned rail corridor with passenger trains travelling up to 110 mph. I am proud of the partnership and hard work among MDOT, Amtrak, and its contractors to modernize this vital rail corridor. Passengers will truly benefit from the safety and reliability this important work has provided.

I haven't been on a train since 1986 when my family took a trip to Toronto. The only reason I remember what year it was is because that was the year Ozzy released The Ultimate Sin and I listened to that sucker over and over. That was the first cassette I ever bought with my own money. I think I remember more about listening to Ozzy than I do the actual trip.