(The following story by David Jesse appeared on the Times Herald website on June 17.)
PORT HURON, Mich. — The first month of Amtrak’s Blue Water line saw more riders than the previous local route.
May 2004 saw a 20.2% ridership increase from May 2003, when the line was known as the International and included service to Canada, according to statistics provided by the rail company.
“It’s very heartening that the passengers in Michigan have adopted this service so quickly,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said. “But we’re not satisfied it’s the best we can do. We’re still working to improve the line.”
On April 25, Amtrak halted the International line, which took riders under the St. Clair River to its eventual destination of Toronto.
In its place is the Blue Water line, which leaves Port Huron at 5:15 a.m. for Chicago and returns to Port Huron at 10:50 p.m.
Previously, a Chicago-bound train from Canada stopped in Port Huron at 12:20 p.m. and another arrived at 4:50 p.m. from Chicago. The line from Chicago to Port Huron began in 1974. Canada was added in 1982.
“There was a lot of concern that the new run would decrease ridership, but ridership was up 20%, and revenue was up 15%,” said state Rep. Lauren Hager, R-Port Huron Township, a proponent of the switch. “I hope this is a trend. I think as we add more promotion, more people will ride it.”
Revenues in May 2003 were $147,985. In May 2004, revenues were $170,956, a 15.5% increase, Hager said.
He credits the increase on the schedule change. A round-trip ticket to Chicago costs $46.
Tina Gomez, 33, of Port Huron agreed. She’s ridden the new train three times in May to visit relatives in Chicago
“It’s much easier,” she said. “It gets you there early in the afternoon, and you have all day left to visit.”
Hager has heard from people who’ve used the new line to make connections to trains heading west from Chicago.
“If you want to travel westbound from Chicago, you don’t have to stay overnight,” he said.
In addition to the new schedule, Amtrak also returned the ticket agent to the Port Huron station. The agent is on duty when the train arrives and departs. VIA Rail Canada trains still will run between Sarnia and Toronto, but people will have to find their own way to the Sarnia station.
The Port Huron-to-Chicago line and an Amtrak line between Grand Rapids and Chicago are state subsidized. The rail company and Legislature have bickered for years about the amount of the subsidy. The two lines will cost taxpayers $7.1 million in this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
A third line, between Detroit and Chicago, receives no state money.