I think the border is the hangup. Airlines get people across the border quickly, but those people must go through Xray machines, magnetic scanners looking for metal, have their bags gone through and inspected. Stand in line a couple hours prior to boarding.
On the train, I always have ticket in hand before I go. I can get to the station 10 minutes before the train, walk right on it, bring my uninspected luggage with me. I think it would be difficult for the conductors to accomplish all that riding between near-border stops.
Regarding capacity between Winsor and Toronto, there is no problem, because the through trains would simply replace the appropriate Toronto - Winsor VIA schedules, or rather just extend those schedules to Detroit or even Chicago.
As to customs in Port Huron, my wife and I traveled from Toronto to Chicago in 1997--we were asked one question, "You two hitched?"\
About five years ago, when I arrived in Vancouver, I was asked how long I would be stayng; I do nor remember any (to me) unusual questions when we arrived in Vancouver in 2009. Coming back, I so not remember any interrogation by US customs.
Johnny
Yes you would have to entice many of the new generations to live downtown in condos. I understand that is the plan with young urban type employment in the yet to be re-finished Michigan Central RR Station. For now the folks live out in the 'burbs and that is the route of the Wolverine.
Also the CASO is gone and ain't comin' back. Of course there are other routes but they are busy pieces of railroad. I'm sure it can be done in if the will is there.
A big problem is that for a couple of decades the Wolverine has bypassed the MC depot and tunnel enterance, to go over a beltline to serve the northern suburbs of Detroit. Since Michigan would still have to subsidize their portion of the train, I doubt they would divert funds to a train route toward Canada that might not attract as many riders as ride to the end of the present route in the Detroit area suburbs.
That's not the Red Ensign National Flag... it's the flag of the Province of Ontario, which is similiar.
AMTK 344 leads Maple Leaf changing crews before heading across the border to New York City. May 1981
This through VIA/Amtrak train began operation April 26, 1981 over CN and replaced the VIA service (RDC) over CPR/TH&B via Fort Erie andBlack Rock to Exchange Street in Buffalo.
....below......Back to the future.... maybe. Makes sense!
CPR passenger trains used this station in Windsor also to and from Detroit after tunnel opened. Bill ThomsonNote the mechanical train order hoops!
Michigan Central car ferries
Of course we could always go back to this to get to Detroit.
Michigan Central car ferry Detroit of Detroit. Winter 1905 Sold 1910 to Wabash following opening of Detroit River Tunnel. Ferry service ended April 30, 1994
I took Toronto-Chicago in 2004 but thru Port Huron not Detroit. Too many security concerns with the tunnel so they stopped the thru the tunnel service. At least that's the story. Toronto-New York dosen't seem to be a problem. No border tunnel but a big bridge.
Why can't the US ICE and Canadian folks take a lesson from how the Europeans handled borders on trains before the EU? Have agents board in Detroit and make the rounds before the next stop (perhaps eliminate the Windsor stop?). Reverse the process westbound, having the US agents board at the last Canadian stop prior to MI. Passengers boarding there or Detroit could be pre-cleared. Immigration at most airports here and abroad handle this process with far more passengers quickly and smoothly.
Great idea to have direct Toronto-Chicago service, but TSA security theatre will probably sabotage it. The other part is connectivity beyond those points. In more recent times, when Chicago-Toronto was a day train, VIA cleverly had the overnight Montreal-Toronto train (before it was eliminated) arrive after the Chicago train left, and the Canadian portion used a slower turkey trail route through Guelph and Stratford.
John
It sounds like a great idea. Back in the day, the Wolverine was a fast, premium (possibly All-Pullman?) MC/NYC train, departing from Central Station in Chicago.
Yes, CP trains came into Detroit through the MC tunnel, and came to the MC station. There were through trains between Chicago and Toronto. The CP train crews came into Detroit, but the CP engine crews came only to Windsor because the engines were changed there (from steam or diesel to electric or the reverse).
In 1969, I rode from New York City to Chicago through Detroit.
Sounds like a good idea. But, did passenger trains use the Detroit-Windsor tunnel? Does it connect to the MC station? I would take that train- the 401 is so boring on that long stretch between London and Windsor. People fall asleep from boredom and crash and die on that road.
You knew this was comming when William Ford of the Ford Motor Car Company let it leak that he wanted to see Michigan Central Station a rail passenger station in part again at some point in the future. Not sure yet how serious a proposal this is or if Amtrak is just floating a trial balloon here. We'll see. Curious if it does go through how they will set this up with the current corridor stretching past the MC Station cut-off in Detroit. I think the Chicago to Toronto Corridor might also be a good candidate for an overnight train as well.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2019/04/02/amtrak-detroit-toronto-train-service/3341837002/
EDIT: Found a more informative link:
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/08/13/amtrak-hopes-to-link-chicago-and-detroit-to-toronto/
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