Jump to content


Photo

Beech Grove may lose Amtrak facility to Michigan


  • Please log in to reply
13 replies to this topic

#11 ICGsteve

ICGsteve

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 1542 posts

Posted 16 June 2005 - 07:54 PM

As I recall the Lansing plants all butt up next to residential areas. I would think that the city would rezone these areas residential before allowing Amtrak to take the plants and not pay taxes. LAnsing land is too valuable for Amtrak freeloading. If Amtrak did go to Michigan it would probably be Flint or near Detroit, and the State would have to agree to pay some redevelopement money to the locals. Keep in mind that not only are the Auto assembly plants being vacated, but also many parts plants. In the next round of GM closing's over the next few years some very modern factories are going to be shut down. Many of the former GM parts division plants have already closed I think, and some of them had a lot of money put into them over the last twenty years. If Amtrak, the feds, and the state could come to terms Amtrak would have a wide choice of properties. I don't see Amtrak in any position to deal with this right now, and unless Amtrak is going to become better funded there is no payoff for the state to pay any monies up front to get Amtrak to MIchigan. BG workers have reason to be conserned that their jobs may be eliminated through the budget process, but not much that their jobs are moving out of state.

#12 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 16 June 2005 - 08:18 PM

One thing we haven't talked about is that a potential new site would probably be near an active Amtrak route. The revenue trains on the route act as hospital trains, taking the equipment to and from the facility. The only reason we have daily service now between Indianapolis and Chicago is because of Beech Grove. Take away the Amtrak facility there, and we most likely will lose the HOOSIER STATE (but would retain the thrice weekly CARDINAL). Likewise, a location in Michigan would probably make whatever route it is near (either the Wolverine Corridor or BLUE WATER) least expendable if and when routes are cut out.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#13 ICGsteve

ICGsteve

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 1542 posts

Posted 17 June 2005 - 10:06 AM

Good point Kevin. The Amtrak fac idealy would be close enough to a terminal (the end point of A route) that a switcher could be sent out to collect and deliver cars to the hospital train. The state and the feds would pressure the railroad into allowing Amtrak trackage rights so that Amtrak does not need to pay for each movement. This argues against choosing Flint. Detroit it is. Detroit is a dying city which can't be choosey, the closed auto plants are not worth much, and it has the highest concentration in the state of unemployed or underemployed highly skilled, desperate workers. Soon there will be many more.

#14 NickG

NickG

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 5396 posts
  • Location:Philadelphia, PA

Posted 25 June 2005 - 03:22 PM

From the Indy Star, 6/25/05:

Lawmakers, mayor vow to fight to keep Amtrak jobs

Indianapolis (Star report) -- U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.; U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, D-Ind., and Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said Friday they would continue to fight to keep the 640 jobs at the Amtrak maintenance facility in Beech Grove. An Amtrak spokesman last week confirmed that Michigan officials have tried to lure the facility to their state.

The full story is here.
Nick Gibbon

New York, NY/Philadelphia, PA




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users