(The following article by David Jesse was posted on the Port Huron Times Herald website on December 5.)
PORT HURON, Mich. — If Amtrak ends its service from Port Huron to Toronto in April, Lloyd Shepherd of Brown City plans to spend more time in his van heading across the Blue Water Bridge to Sarnia’s train station.
He’s not supportive of discussions to end the International line, which runs between Chicago and Toronto with a stop in Port Huron. The service would be replaced with the Bluewater line, which will run between Chicago and Port Huron.
Amtrak and state officials met Tuesday to continue negotiations to end the line.
The beleaguered rail company announced Tuesday it will restore the ticket agent to Port Huron.
“There’s more than a few people who need it,” Shepherd said of the International route.
He makes monthly trips to Port Huron to pick up or drop off Amish residents from the Brown City area headed to Canada to visit relatives. On Thursday, he picked up six adults and several children headed to Brown City for a visit with relatives.
Amtrak ran the Bluewater line until 1982, when it started the International line.
The effort to end the Toronto route was based on declining ridership, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said.
In fiscal year 2003, which ended Sept. 30, 80,890 people rode the line. That’s down from the 91,714 who rode in 2002.
“We believe the change to originate the service in Port Huron will be more successful,” he said. “We hope to introduce the changes by the end of April.”
Amtrak officials also said the new schedule would help it run on time. Customs delays can create long waits and unreliable schedules, they said.
On Thursday afternoon, it took about 10 minutes for a U.S. Customs Service agent to show up at the train after it arrived at the Port Huron station.
Vicki Logan of Port Huron likes the change. She was riding to Battle Creek on Thursday morning from Port Huron.
“We’re already a half-hour late, and we have to wait for the customs agent to clear the train,” she said. “I’m for stopping it going over (to Canada).”
The new schedule would have a train departing from Port Huron at 5:15 a.m. and returning by 10:50 p.m.
Via Rail, a Canadian company that runs the Sarnia-to-Toronto portion of the International line with Amtrak, will continue service from Sarnia to Toronto, Magliari said.
Amtrak is not making any plans to shuttle people between Port Huron and Sarnia to make connections. Amtrak will offer direct service to Toronto from Chicago via a train that runs through Detroit and Windsor.
Amtrak also plans to return a ticket agent to Port Huron station. In January, it yanked the position because of budget constraints.
“That’s good,” said Nanette Glaze of Marysville, who was headed to Battle Creek. “You can come right here and get your tickets. Now, you have to call in and have them send you the tickets.”
State Rep. Lauren Hager, R-Port Huron Township, co-chairman of the Amtrak caucus, welcomes the changes. The caucus is a group of state legislators who represent areas with a vested interest in Amtrak service.
“We’ll have a much-enhanced service,” he said.
Hager and Amtrak officials plan to roll out the schedule in a Port Huron visit at a later date.
Amtrak also has committed to spending $100,000 on marketing the new line, Hager said.