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State-Owned Rail
State-Owned Rail
MDOT manages 665 miles of state-owned rail lines. These five lines are operated under contract by five freight railroads. Intercity passenger rail service is also provided by Amtrak on a 135-mile state-owned line between Kalamazoo and Dearborn.
A permit must be obtained to access any state-owned property. Additional agreements may be necessary for long-term use. Permission must be obtained from MDOT for the placement of utilities or other facilities on any of the state-owned corridors. MDOT also provides temporary access and construction permits for its corridors, except Kalamazoo-Dearborn. As the state's accelerated rail corridor, temporary access and construction on that corridor is managed by Amtrak.
Permit Application Materials
Permit Application (Applies to all lines except Dearborn-Kalamazoo (Form 0772)
Kalamazoo-Dearborn Permit Application (Form 1444)
Rail Standards, Specifications & Resources
2021 Typical Plans (Applies to all lines except Dearborn-Kalamazoo)
2015 Railroad Specifications (Applies to all lines except Dearborn-Kalamazoo)
Contractor Pre-qualification (Required for MDOT Bid Projects)
Other MDOT Real Estate Permits
Natural Resources & Environmental Protection Act: Snowmobiles on Railroad ROW