Michigan Executive
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Executive was a commuter train operated by Amtrak
between Detroit, Michigan
, and Jackson, Michigan
.
As Amtrak's mandate did not cover commuter operations Penn Central continued to operate a weekday commuter service between Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan
after Amtrak had assumed control of its intercity operations. By the mid-1970s Penn Central asked to discontinue the service, citing dwindling ridership and the aging Rail Diesel Cars it used. Amtrak and the state of Michigan agreed to step in, and the Michigan Executive made its first run on January 20, 1975, running between Detroit and Jackson (to the west of Ann Arbor).
In the summer of 1975 the westbound Friday Michigan Executive operated all the way to Chicago
, returning the following Sunday. Declining ridership led Amtrak to discontinue the westbound Michigan Executive and truncate the eastbound train to Ann Arbor. Returning commuters took the Chicago-Detroit Twilight Limited. Amtrak discontinued the Michigan Executive on January 13, 1984, after Michigan withdrew its support. State transportation officials estimated that the discontinuance would save $200,000/year, and daily ridership had dwindled below 60.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
between Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
.
As Amtrak's mandate did not cover commuter operations Penn Central continued to operate a weekday commuter service between Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
after Amtrak had assumed control of its intercity operations. By the mid-1970s Penn Central asked to discontinue the service, citing dwindling ridership and the aging Rail Diesel Cars it used. Amtrak and the state of Michigan agreed to step in, and the Michigan Executive made its first run on January 20, 1975, running between Detroit and Jackson (to the west of Ann Arbor).
In the summer of 1975 the westbound Friday Michigan Executive operated all the way to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, returning the following Sunday. Declining ridership led Amtrak to discontinue the westbound Michigan Executive and truncate the eastbound train to Ann Arbor. Returning commuters took the Chicago-Detroit Twilight Limited. Amtrak discontinued the Michigan Executive on January 13, 1984, after Michigan withdrew its support. State transportation officials estimated that the discontinuance would save $200,000/year, and daily ridership had dwindled below 60.