Pere Marquette (Amtrak train)

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Pere Marquette
Pointless arrow in "Pure Michigan".jpg
A GE Genesis in the 40th-anniversary Phase I scheme pulls the Pere Marquette through southwestern Michigan.
Overview
Service type Inter-city rail
Locale Midwest United States
First service 1984
Current operator(s) Amtrak
Ridership 106,662 (FY11)[1]
Route
Start Grand Rapids, Michigan
Stops 3
End Chicago, Illinois
Distance travelled 176 mi (283 km)
Service frequency Daily
Train number(s) 370, 371
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s) CSXT, NS
Route map
Distance Station
0
mi
km
 		 Chicago US Passenger rail transport
Illinois
Indiana
Indiana
Michigan
89 mi 
143 km 
 		 St. Joseph–Benton Harbor
116 mi 
187 km 
 		 Bangor
151 mi 
243 km 
 		 Holland
176 mi 
283 km 
 		 Grand Rapids

The Pere Marquette is a passenger train operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services on the 176-mile (283 km) route between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. It is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Transportation[2] and is train 370 eastbound and train 371 westbound.

The train is named for a named train of the defunct Pere Marquette Railway,[3] and in turn for Pere Marquette, Michigan, an early name for Ludington.[4] The town was named for Father Jacques Marquette, a French explorer of the Great Lakes region.[4]

History

Pre-Amtrak

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Main article: Pere Marquette (C&O train)

The Pere Marquette was a named train of the Pere Marquette Railway, which ran between Detroit and Grand Rapids six times a day. When the Pere Marquette Railway was absorbed into the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in 1947, the name was maintained and extended to Chicago.

The Amtrak years

Amtrak revived the name for its Grand Rapids–Chicago service on August 5, 1984, with financial support from the state of Michigan.[5] Initially it served Chicago, Hammond–Whiting, New Buffalo, St. Joseph, Bangor, Holland and Grand Rapids. Service at Hammond–Whiting ended April 29, 2001, (other trains still stop there). Service at New Buffalo ended October 26, 2009, when a new station opened on a different alignment.[6]:210[7]

2007 crash

On November 30, 2007, the southbound Pere Marquette collided with a Norfolk Southern freight train in Chicago, injuring 30 people.[8]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the collision was the failure of the Amtrak engineer to interpret the signal at Englewood interlocking correctly and Amtrak's failure to ensure that the engineer had the competence to interpret signals correctly across the different territories over which he operated. The NTSB released its findings on the crash on March 31, 2009.[9]

Route

Amtrak Pere Marquette (interactive map)

The Pere Marquette operates over Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation trackage:

Ridership

During fiscal year 2011, the Pere Marquette carried 106,662 passengers, an increase of 4.7% from 2010, when it carried 101,907 passengers.[1] Ticket revenue in 2011 was $3.2 million, an increase of 9.8% from 2010's $2.9 million.[1]

On-time performance

During 2008, the on-time performance of train 370 (Chicago-Grand Rapids) was 33.6%, of train 371 (Grand Rapids-Chicago) 13.5%. By September 2010, these figures had changed to 63.3% and 13.3% respectively. Amtrak owns 10 miles (16 km) of this line, freight railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern the remainder. Track and signal delays and freight train interference make up the majority of delays.[11]

Station stops

In October 26, 2009, the New Buffalo Amtrak station was relocated from the CSX trackage to the Amtrak-owned alignment closer to the shore of Lake Michigan. This new station is ADA-accessible and has a more extensive shelter. As a result, the Pere Marquette no longer stops in New Buffalo, which is served by Wolverine and Blue Water trains.[12]

State Town/City Station Connections
Illinois Chicago Chicago Union Station Amtrak: Blue Water, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Carl Sandburg, California Zephyr, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Hiawatha Service, Hoosier State, Illini, Illinois Zephyr, Lake Shore Limited, Lincoln Service, Saluki, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, Wolverine, Thruway Motorcoach
CTA Buses: 1, 7, 14, 19, 20, X20, X28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192
Megabus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7
Metra: North Central Service, Milwaukee District/North Line, Milwaukee District/West Line, BNSF Railway Line, Heritage Corridor, SouthWest Service
Michigan St. Joseph St. Joseph Amtrak Station Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority: Red Route
Bangor Bangor Station Van Buren Public Transit
Holland Padnos Transportation Center MAX: all routes
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids station Thruway Motorcoach: Indian Trails
The Rapid: Routes 1-18,Silver Line (Grand Rapids),

Equipment

Sample consist
March 19, 2011
Location Bangor, Michigan
Train Westbound #371
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[13]

A normal Pere Marquette consists of:[13]

References

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Further reading

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External links

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