Thanks to $140 million in federal money, the
State of Michigan will reportedly soon be the owner of the Norfolk Southern
Railroad line connecting Chicago to Detroit. This is all part of the State’s
plan to have high speed rail connecting the two cities.
Former Michigan Congressman Joe Schwarz has
been working with officials from Governor Rick Snyder’s administration for over
a year on the project, which also includes U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray
LaHood.
Under the sale agreement, Norfolk Southern
will reportedly maintain freight rights to the track with Amtrak doing the
dispatching. New track, crossings, signaling and improved right-of-way and
speed-ratings for the track will be the focus. Portions of the track are
already rated for trains traveling 110 miles per hour.