Wolverine Service back to full service for the holidays

Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have completed this year’s construction season for Wolverine Service trains, so customers can again book travel with three round-trips daily, plus additional service on select days around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Passengers typically can choose from three round-trip frequencies daily between Chicago and Detroit/Pontiac via Michigan’s Wolverine Service. The service was modified from late April through October to accommodate track work in Calhoun and Jackson counties: One frequency each way was shifted from a daily schedule to Sunday-only, allowing construction crews a larger weekday work window while preserving the full three round-trip schedule for the service’s heaviest travel day.

MDOT contractors, including Amtrak, completed a busy construction season on 41 miles of track in Calhoun and Jackson counties. This included replacing 26,000 railroad ties, repairing or installing 15 track switches, realigning or modifying 29 railroad curves, repairing 23 railroad grade crossings and improving road profiles at crossings. Amtrak also continued to improve the signal system controlling rail traffic on MDOT’s rail segment east of Kalamazoo.

This continues the improvement of state-owned railroad infrastructure as part of Michigan’s Accelerated Rail Program and will result in improved reliability and a smoother ride for customers, along with an expansion of the Midwest’s first 110-mph Amtrak service.

For Wolverine Service and other Michigan state-sponsored route schedules, please click here, or visit Amtrak’s Michigan Services page.