Amtrak Service Finally Comes to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Realistic ‘Northern Wind’ Train Route Proposal

Imagine taking a passenger train into Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a vacation. Currently it's simply not possible. The nation's rail service, Amtrak, doesn't run anywhere near the UP. But an intriguing proposal would take it there.

And there's community support.

Introducing the "Northern Wind": Chicago to Marquette

The proposed service would be known as the Northern Wind route and would run from Chicago to Marquette. Along the way it would run both along Lake Michigan and inland Wisconsin with stops in cities like Milwaukee, Fond Du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton and Green Bay before crossing into Michigan. The Michigan run would inland from Lake Michigan along the US-41 corridor to Escanaba rather than M-35 along the lake.

Following Historic Tracks: The US-41 Corridor and C&NW Legacy

That interior corridor through villages like Stephenson, Daggett and Carney follows a historic Chicago and North Western rail line.

The only two Michigan stops along the proposed Northern Wind are Escanaba and Marquette. Interestingly, for the twin cities on the state line, Marinette and Menominee, the stop would be on the Wisconsin side.

The proposed name of the route, Northern Wind, evokes both the romance and ruggedness of the route. It also is a nod to another rail service that once ran from Chicago. The Desert Wind was an Amtrak route to Los Angeles via Salt Lake City and Las Vegas that ran from 1979 to 1997.

READ MORE: Could Michigan's Amtrak Be Better? The Wolverine Line's Potential Shortcomings

The topic of passenger rail service was a topic at a recent Menominee County board meeting as reported by the Marinette-Menominee Eagle Herald. The commissioners expressed support for a resolution that would call for a new Amtrak line to the region with the caveat on wanting more information on potential funding.

👇🏼BELOW: Every Amtrak Station in Michigan👇🏼

The other Amtrak lines in Michigan - all from Chicago to points in the Lower Peninsula - known as Michigan Services are funded by the state.

While Amtrak has never run to the Upper Peninsula, Northern Michigan did have passenger rail service until the 1970s.

A Look Back: Passenger Rail Before Amtrak in the U.P.

The Chicago and Northwestern Railway ran the Peninsula 400 between Chicago and Ishpeming. The same railway ran the Flambeau 400 to Ironwood. Both passenger train routes were abandoned in 1971.

The historic Ironwood train station is pictured above in winter.