US Oks $196.5M for high-speed Chicago-Detroit rail

WKAR Public Media

Published October 5, 2011 at 6:12 PM EDT

By AP

KALAMAZOO, MI –

Michigan U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow say the Department of Transportation has approved $196.5 million for part of a high-speed Amtrak passenger rail link between Chicago and Detroit.

The Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday that the funds now being obligated cover work between Kalamazoo in western Michigan to Dearborn in suburban Detroit.

The grant to the Michigan Department of Transportation will cover track and signal improvements.

Officials say the rail line improvements will allow trains to reach 110 miles per hour on 135 miles of the route. The Transportation Department says that will shave 30 minutes off travel on Amtrak's Wolverine and Blue Water services between Detroit and Chicago.

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