Chicago–Detroit_Line
Michigan Line
110-mph Amtrak and Michigan state-owned rail corridor
The Michigan Line, sometimes known as the Chicago–Detroit Line, is a higher-speed rail corridor that runs between Porter, Indiana and Dearborn, Michigan. It carries Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine services, as well as the occasional freight train operated by Norfolk Southern.
Amtrak owns the 98-mile (158 km) section between Porter, Indiana, to Kalamazoo, Michigan, the longest stretch of Amtrak-owned rail outside of the Northeastern U.S. The state of Michigan, through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) owns the 135-mile (217 km) section between Kalamazoo and Dearborn, which it purchased from Norfolk Southern in December 2012.[2] Norfolk Southern retains an exclusive trackage right for freight on the line.[3] A short stretch of track in Battle Creek, Michigan is owned by Canadian National Railway. The entire line was originally the mainline of the Michigan Central Railroad.
The entire corridor (including the portion owned by MDOT) is dispatched and maintained by Amtrak, which as of September 2021[update], is working to replace worn tracks and integrate the train signaling and communication systems.[4]