Talk of Amtrak providing passenger rail service between Chicago and the Upper Peninsula is just a rumor, a spokesman for the of the Michigan Department of Transportation said. (Amtrak photo)

ESCANABA — A rumored expansion of Amtrak service to the Upper Peninsula appears to be just that — a rumor.

“To my knowledge, there are no serious discussions of Amtrak service to the U.P. taking place between the state, Amtrak and/or local governments,” said Superior Region Communications Representative Dan Weingarten, of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s office of communications.

A map of the proposed “Amtrak Northern Wind” route that circulated on social media and some railroad-focused websites showed a twice-daily route that connected Chicago to the Upper Peninsula. The line traveled though Wisconsin cities such as Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, Appleton, Green Bay and Marinette before crossing into Michigan, passing through Escanaba and terminating in Marquette.

While the map named Amtrak specifically, a representative from Amtrak declined to comment on the proposal, noting the determination of an operator would come at a much later stage.

“The name, the proposed route, and the maps that have been posted online are all purely speculative. The process for establishing a passenger rail service would involve extensive studies of potential routes and ridership,” Weingarten said.

A small reference on the map suggests it originated from an account on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, called @ThunderWolf08. The account is purportedly owned by an individual from the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota who refers to themselves as “Amtrak’s Strongest warrior” in their bio. The account posted a larger version of the map on Dec. 18.

The map resurfaced and the map began circulating not long after the Menominee County Board on July 8 passed a resolution in support of bringing Amtrak passenger rail service to the Upper Peninsula. That resolution cited plans to extend passenger rail service from Milwaukee to Green Bay and argued that rail travel to the U.P. would take advantage of the region’s “$1.6 billion tourism industry” and “several million annual visitors.”

The resolution read in part, “… traveling Amtrak is more relaxed and with scenic routes that allow passengers to enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape not usually available with other modes of transportation, the Amtrak travel experience pairs perfectly with the ambiance of the Upper Peninsula …”

Weingarten noted, “The process for establishing a passenger rail service would involve extensive studies of potential routes and ridership.”

Other parts of the state have been studied to introduce possible new rail routes. One such study now underway would expand rail travel to an area between Traverse City and southeastern Michigan. That study is being led by the Wexford County Transit Authority and a group called Groundworks in Traverse City.

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Ilsa Minor can be reached at 906-786-2021 or iminor@dailypress.net.