by Ryan Bentley

An upcoming study is expected to gauge the potential for successful passenger train service along the rail corridor between Northern Michigan and Ann Arbor which could begin summer weekend passenger service as early as 2020.

Jim Lively, a program director at the Traverse City-based Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, said that organization worked with the Bay Area Transportation Authority — a public transit agency serving the Traverse City area — to line up grant funding for the study. Some $80,000 in grant funds will be accessed through the U.S. Department of Transportation for the research, with the Michigan department providing a $20,000 match and the Groundwork Center lining up $20,000 more in matching funds from several sources.

Lively said a request soon will be circulated for study proposals, and the Groundwork Center — formerly known as the Michigan Land Use Institute — hopes an entity can be selected by June to conduct the research. The study itself would then take an estimated six to nine months.

“We’ve been kind of advocating or talking about this possibility for passenger rail for quite some time,” Lively said.

One factor piquing the Groundwork Center’s interest in the rail corridor was a finding during a Michigan rail transportation planning process roughly four years ago. During information-gathering efforts around the state, Lively noted that interest was frequently expressed in passenger service along the existing Ann Arbor-to-Traverse City rail corridor.

With another branch from that corridor reaching to Petoskey, Lively said study organizers also plan to explore the potential for passenger service to extend there, as well.

Community meetings are expected near the beginning as well as the conclusion of the study process, with Lively noting that these will likely take place in key corridor locations such as Petoskey, Traverse City, Cadillac, Mount Pleasant, Owosso and Ann Arbor. Scheduling details will be forthcoming.

Lively said the study will help gauge potential passenger demand for train service along the corridor, as well as what pricing and trip durations passengers might find acceptable.

The study also will consider the conditions of the tracks — portions of which aren’t currently in suitable shape to support passenger trains — and potential costs for needed upgrades, Lively said. Findings also could help identify a workable management structure,

With results in hand, Lively said study organizers potentially could reach out to prospective operators.

“The expectation is that it would not be Amtrak but rather some type of private entity,” he said.

Along with southern Michigan residents destined for northern tourist spots, Lively said college and university students perhaps could be part of the market for passenger service. He noted that the University of Michigan, Alma College, Central Michigan University, Baker College of Cadillac, Northwestern Michigan College and North Central Michigan College campuses are all in close proximity to the rail routes. In Ann Arbor, southbound passengers could access other trains running to major hubs such as Detroit and Chicago.

The Great Lakes Central Railroad currently leases tracks along the corridor for freight operations. Chris Bagwell, executive vice president with Great Lakes Central, said the company is open to the idea of passenger operations also using the corridor if they’re found to be feasible.

Two Petoskey entities were among the contributors to the study’s matching funds, Lively said, with the city of Petoskey (specifically, its Downtown Management Board) chipping in $2,000 and the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau $1,000.

“Any time there is an opportunity for people from downstate and other states to get here conveniently, we are interested in seeing that happen,” said Diane Dakins, assistant director at the visitors bureau.