"This past year marks the highest ridership totals ever on Amtrak services in Michigan," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "All three lines, especially the Blue Water, have made great gains, despite the slowdowns on the Pontiac/Detroit-Chicago corridor. We've taken steps to repair the track between Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti, so that will help bring speeds back to what customers expect."

Amtrak operates the Blue Water and Pere Marquette services under a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). At this time, Amtrak does not receive any direct state support for the Wolverine service. Michigan is one of 15 states that provide state-supported service.