Michigan Air Line Railway

The Michigan Air Line Railway was a short-line railroad operating in Oakland County, Michigan. Its route extended between West Bloomfield and Wixom, where it connected with CSX. The railroad's headquarters and station were located in Walled Lake, making the community an operational center for the line and for its best-known passenger attraction, the Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train. Unlike a large intercity railroad, the Michigan Air Line Railway served a compact regional corridor. Its significance was tied both to the preservation and operation of a local rail route and to the use of the line for an excursion and dining service. The Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train became the line's most visible public-facing offering. The final recorded operation of that service took place on December 31, 2008. After the dinner train ended, the eastern section between Haggerty Road and Arrowhead Road, measuring approximately 6.9 miles, was no longer required for the railroad's remaining operations. That section was sold to the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission and was incorporated into the West Bloomfield Trail, converting a former railway corridor into a public recreational route. Railmark Holdings, Inc. owned the Michigan Air Line Railway name. On November 12, 2009, Railmark announced that it would sell the railroad to Browner Turnout. The subsequent disposition of the line reflected the declining operational need for the route after the end of the dinner-train service. On January 28, 2011, the railroad applied to federal regulators for authority to abandon its remaining 5.45-mile route, running from the interchange at Wixom to the then-end of track at Haggerty Road. The abandonment was approved on October 18, 2011, and the remaining railroad infrastructure was removed in spring 2012. The former 5.45-mile rail corridor became the Michigan Airline Railway Trail. It connects on the eastern side with the West Bloomfield Trail and on the western side with the Huron Valley Trail. These trails form part of the Great Lake to Lake Trail Route 1, a planned and developed long-distance trail route across Michigan. The railway therefore survives primarily as a transportation heritage reference and through public trail infrastructure created from portions of its former right-of-way.

The Michigan Air Line Railway was a short-line railroad in Oakland County, Michigan, operating between West Bloomfield and Wixom. At Wixom, the line connected with CSX, providing an interchange with the wider North American rail network. The railroad's headquarters and station were in Walled Lake, Michigan. The line's best-known service was the Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train. This operation combined rail travel with a dining and excursion experience and gave the otherwise local short line a distinctive public identity. The dinner train made its final recorded run on December 31, 2008. Once that service ended, portions of the railway were no longer needed for active railroad purposes. The eastern section from Haggerty Road to Arrowhead Road covered approximately 6.9 miles. It was sold to the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission and used to complete the West Bloomfield Trail. This transfer began the conversion of the former rail corridor into a public trail system rather than retaining it solely for railway use. Railmark Holdings, Inc. owned the Michigan Air Line Railway name. On November 12, 2009, Railmark announced the sale of the railroad to Browner Turnout. The line's remaining railroad future was limited after the discontinuation of the dinner train and the disposition of the eastern section. On January 28, 2011, the railroad sought federal authorization to abandon its remaining 5.45-mile route. This segment ran from the interchange at Wixom to the end of track at Haggerty Road. Federal approval was issued on October 18, 2011. The remaining railroad was removed in spring 2012. After removal, the 5.45-mile corridor became the Michigan Airline Railway Trail. The trail connects eastward with the West Bloomfield Trail and westward with the Huron Valley Trail. Together, these facilities form important portions of Great Lake to Lake Trail Route 1, a roughly 240-mile cross-state trail route. The Michigan Air Line Railway's legacy is therefore represented not only by its historic short-line operations and dinner-train service, but also by the reuse of its former right-of-way as public recreational infrastructure.

1. 2012Railway converted into trail corridor

   The remaining railroad was removed in spring 2012, and the 5.45-mile corridor became the Michigan Airline Railway Trail.

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2. 2011Abandonment application filed

   The railroad applied on January 28 for authority to abandon its remaining 5.45-mile route from Wixom to Haggerty Road.

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3. 2011Abandonment approved

   Federal officials approved abandonment of the remaining route on October 18.

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4. 2009Sale announced

   Railmark Holdings announced on November 12 that it was selling the railroad to Browner Turnout.

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5. 2008Final Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train operation

   The Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train ran its last recorded service on December 31, 2008.

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A local Michigan short-line railroad whose public identity was closely associated with regional rail operations and the Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train, and whose former right-of-way later became part of a connected recreational trail system.

• Short-line railroad operationsRail transportation

  The Michigan Air Line Railway operated a compact regional railroad route in Oakland County, connecting West Bloomfield with Wixom and providing an interchange with CSX at Wixom. Its service was local and short-line in character rather than a broad intercity passenger network.

• Michigan Star Clipper Dinner TrainExcursion and dining train

  The Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train was the railway's principal public-facing passenger attraction. It offered a dining and excursion experience using the Michigan Air Line route and operated its final recorded service on December 31, 2008.

• 2011Applied to abandon remaining routeStrategy

  After the dinner-train service ended and part of the route was sold for trail development, the remaining 5.45-mile railroad segment was no longer required for the reported operation.

  What changed. The railroad applied to federal officials on January 28, 2011, for authority to abandon the route between Wixom and Haggerty Road.

  Aftermath. Abandonment was approved on October 18, 2011, and the remaining track and railroad infrastructure were removed in spring 2012.

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• 2009Announced sale to Browner TurnoutM&A

  Following the end of the Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train, Railmark Holdings announced that it would sell the railroad.

  What changed. Railmark announced the sale of the Michigan Air Line Railway to Browner Turnout on November 12, 2009.

  Aftermath. The line's eastern section was subsequently repurposed for the West Bloomfield Trail, while the remaining route was later abandoned and removed.

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• 2012Remaining Michigan Air Line track removed

  The remaining railroad infrastructure was removed in spring 2012 after abandonment approval, and the former corridor became the Michigan Airline Railway Trail.

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• 2011Federal approval granted for abandonment of remaining route

  The railroad applied on January 28, 2011, to abandon its remaining 5.45-mile route between the Wixom interchange and Haggerty Road. Approval was granted on October 18, 2011.

  Regulation
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• 2009Railmark announces sale of Michigan Air Line Railway

  Railmark Holdings announced on November 12, 2009, that it was selling the railroad to Browner Turnout.

  M&A
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• 2008Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train runs its final service

  The Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train operated its last recorded trip on December 31, 2008, ending the railway's principal public passenger attraction.

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• Eastern section transferred for West Bloomfield Trail

  The approximately 6.9-mile eastern section between Haggerty Road and Arrowhead Road was sold to the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission after it was no longer needed for railroad operations.

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1. Michigan Air-Line Railway