(The following story by Alex Nixon appeared on the Kalamazoo Gazette website on August 30.)
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — If they showed up expecting a fight, politicians from across southern Michigan left Battle Creek disappointed Wednesday morning.
More than a dozen people representing cities along the train lines used by Amtrak between Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo met with railroad-company officials to let the companies know the cities were opposed to any disruption to passenger-train service in Michigan.
Former Congressman Joe Schwarz said he was encouraged by a verbal pledge that rail lines would be maintained to Amtrak standards. But the Battle Creek Republican said the words needed to be followed with action.
“You have to insist that if they make a verbal and legal commitment to maintain Amtrak service that it’s legally enforceable,” Schwarz said.
At issue is a proposed joint venture, Michigan Central Railway LLC, between Norfolk Southern Corp. and Watco Cos. Inc. to operate 299 miles of track in Michigan and northern Indiana, including a line Amtrak uses between Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo.
Watco Chief Commercial Officer Ed McKechnie told officials Wednesday morning that Watco and Norfolk Southern are nearing a legally binding deal with Amtrak that the railway be maintained to Amtrak standards.
“Everything Amtrak has asked for we’ve said `yes’ to,” McKechnie said.
To be profitable, Amtrak trains need to be able to maintain speeds of 79 mph on the tracks between Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti, officials said. The fear among leaders from cities along the rail line was that the Michigan Central deal would mean less money invested in track maintenance, which would lower track speeds.
But McKechnie said Michigan Central would spend an average of $18,000 per track mile on maintenance — about three times as much as Watco normally spends on tracks.
The company also is committed to investing $20 million in the system over the next three years — which is more than Norfolk Southern spent on the tracks in the past 10 years, he said.
The federal Surface Transportation Board, which is reviewing the Michigan Central proposal, will take public comments on the deal until Sept. 18. It is scheduled to issue a decision Oct. 25.