The Detroit – Windsor Connection

[ghCBNS]

According to a National Association of Railroad Passengers Blog on Apr 19…. Amtrak and VIA are in discussions about a ‘bus bridge’ between the Amtrak Detroit Station and VIA Windsor…. and have agreed to pursue through ticketing. Service could be up and running by the end of 2017.

But until the dedicated ‘bus-bridge’ is operating….perhaps the best option is (and I’ve done it) ... Windsor Transit's  ‘Tunnel Bus’ that loops through downtown Detroit every half-hour. You can take connecting transit busses on each side or just take a taxi from Amtrak to the tunnel bus stop…..then once thru the tunnel…take another taxi to VIA. You can take a taxi all the way but the  taxi company will hit you with a surcharge for crossing the border.

Below is the Tunnel Bus schedule ..remember to catch a southbound bus to Windsor as Canada is south of the US here!!

 http://www.citywindsor.ca/residents/transitwindsor/Routes-and-Schedules/Documents/fall-schedule/tunnel.pdf

 

 

 

[ghCBNS]

 

Right up until Amtrak in May ’71…..CN operated a bus service from Windsor that looped through downtown Detroit stopping at Hotels and the GTW Station. Before that…..through cars including a Detroit-Toronto Sleeper were just ferried across the Detroit River and attached to trains in Windsor to continue on.

 CPR trains to/from Toronto used the Tunnel and ran into the Michigan Central Station.

 

[Deggesty]

Nine years ago, my wife and I traveled to Canada via Detroit and Windsor. We took a taxi across the border each way--but we could not take just any taxi--not all drivers were able to cross the border. We had to wait ateach station until a driver who could cross came to the station.

[CMStPnP]

I think that is a good idea thats cheap and will boost ridership for both carriers.   Amtrak Thruway buses do work in adding passengers that otherwise would not bridge the gap via their own means but once it is on a single interline ticket..........they are OK with the connection.

[Alan Follett]

How burdensome are border crossing formalities for Tunnel Bus passengers?

[ghCBNS]

?

Alan Follett

How burdensome are border crossing formalities for Tunnel Bus passengers?

 

 

I imagine it's pretty routine.....just have your passport or other acceptable documents. Running every half-hour each-way.....they must move quite a few people per day. The last time I used it....a passport wasn't required. Just ID and "where are you going?"