Michigan plans to upgrade Detroit-Chicago Amtrak route

DETROIT - The Michigan Senate has cleared the way for the state to upgrade the speed and comfort of Amtrak services between Detroit and Chicago.

The Detroit News reported the Senate has ended a probe of a passenger rail car purchase and given it the green light. Transportation officials plan to buy two sets of cars and engines to allow trains to reach 110 mph and cut transit time by up to two hours in coming years.

The $58 million trains would replace 30- to 40-year-old Amtrak cars. They were built in the U.S. by an affiliate of Spanish train maker Talgo Inc. The money would come from $200 million in federal funds allocated for Amtrak improvements in Michigan and other states.

The route ridership reached a 20-year peak of roughly 504,000 passengers in 2010.