(The following story by Stephen Tait appeared on the Times Herald website on November 24.)
PORT HURON, Mich. — Ken and Sharon Dunsmore own a Christmas tree farm in Smiths Creek and recently took a trip to Chicago as a getaway before the busy season.
But the Dunsmores skipped the open road, and decided to travel by rail.
“It would cost almost as much to drive to Chicago as take the train,” Sharon said. “Plus, the train is so much more convenient.
“We just like riding.”
More and more, people are using Amtrak’s Blue Water Line, which connects Port Huron to Chicago — and points along the way — as a way to travel.
In the fiscal year ending Oct. 30, ridership on the line increased by 7%, and revenue increased by 16.9%, according to data provided by Amtrak.
Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman, said October saw 14% more riders than the same month last year.
In the fiscal year that just ended, 14,115 riders bought tickets to or from Port Huron, up from 12,544 in the previous fiscal year.
“The largest single reason for the increase is the higher cost for people driving their own cars and trucks,” Magliari said.
Each day, a train leaves Port Huron at 5:15 a.m. for a seven-hour trip to Chicago. A train returns to Port Huron from Chicago at 11 p.m.
A round-trip ticket costs from $52 to $132. Riders can buy a ticket for 10 rides for $247, which is good for 60 days from the time it’s bought.
Magliari said ridership isn’t expected to increase much more for one good reason — “there is simply no more room” on the trains.
“I’m certain that in 2008 there were days when the train was sold out and we were unable to add additional (cars),” he said.
When the train pulled into Port Huron one day last week, about two dozen people stepped off.
The Dunsmores and Lillian Steele were among the crowd.
Steele took the train from Port Huron to Chicago to visit her grandchildren.
“It’s easier than driving,” she said.
Deborah Ahrens of Chicago has worked the Blue Water Line for the past two years as a lead service attendant.
She said during that time she has seen many more families and college students — the train stops in East Lansing, home of Michigan State University — use the train.
“It fits in their budget,” she said.
Ahrens says senior citizens also enjoy the train because it takes away the stress of driving, especially in the winter when roads are often hazardous.
In all, it’s creating a busy train line, she said.
“It’s sold out all the time.”