New rail line helps Amtrak trains bypass Detroit bottleneck

Michigan Department of Transportation crews last week completed construction and testing of a new passenger-only rail line that allows Amtrak's Detroit Wolverine service to bypass the busy West Detroit Junction, the Federal Railroad Administration reported this week.

The $15.8 million West Detroit track project was designed to create a safer, faster and more reliable route for passenger train service around Detroit. The project was funded in part by a $7.9 million FRA grant, the agency announced Monday on social media.

The grant was announced in 2012 as part of an effort to address a bottleneck of freight- and passenger-rail traffic in the Detroit area.