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Does anyone have a current list of the trains which traverse the former Michigan Central Detroit River Tunnel? I know freight trains don’t run on schedule but do any of them tend to run at a “regular” time of day? When a Canada-bound train is waiting at the signal behind the MC depot, does that typically mean they are holding for a US-bound train to exit the portal first? It’s been a while since I’ve been to this territory. Thanks!

Once you can travel to Canada again, standing on the College Avenue bridge near the Windsor portal is a great way to get a visit from either of CP Rail Police, Canadian Customs, or the Windsor Police. It's been forever since I've been to either end of that tunnel.

With covid-19 I think it’s 4-6 daily? AFAIK CP it running a manifest each way and then the T40/41 transfer daily. The other CP trains have basically gone to as needed as I can tell. The westbound CP (can’t remember which symbol they kept) is due into Windsor early in the AM as of late I believe.

I have not caught a meet at the tunnel, but I have caught trains held for the signal. Just depends on what’s going on in Windsor. Assumably they could go on “yard hold” at this spot, or need a lineup somewhere else.

Here are the current trains I know of:
- Transfer to CSX at Rougemere (T21) and return trip to Windsor (T20). Has been arriving at Rougemere in the early overnight hours lately.
- Transfer to NS to at Oakwood (usually T27, sometimes has a T41 symbol) and return trip to Windsor (T28 or T40). Usually works Oakwood in the late morning.
- Transfer to CP Oak Yard at I-96/M-39 (CP 235) and return trip to Windsor (CP 234). CSX dispatch calls these trains Z509 and Z508 while on the CSX Detroit Sub. Usually works CP Oak sometime between mid afternoon and early evening.
- CP 141 WB and CP 140 EB. Used to go through Oakwood in the middle of the day, but now are on different schedules and often go through Southeast Michigan in the dark.

The above used to run every day (or nearly every day), but now run a little less frequently I believe (due to the economy).

Former regular trains such as CP 147 WB and CP 244 EB have disappeared with the auto industry. Hopefully they'll come back soon. I don't recall hearing the odd CP 240 or CP 241 in a long time, either.

There is still an occasional CP 650 EB or CP 651 WB (ethanol trains) that wanders through.

Thank you, I really appreciate this. I was never planning to go to the tunnel portal (either one) itself, more thinking of trying some new photo opts either with the MC Depot, at West Detroit from Federal Street, along John Kronk Road, etc. It's just helpful to know what to expect a bit, and what might happen if I catch an eastbound waiting behind MC. Some time ago - maybe 10 years or more - CN ran one transfer run from Van de Water through to somewhere on the Detroit side - Flat Rock maybe? Or maybe Pontiac? I'm assuming this trip doesn't run anymore and all CN traffic goes via Sarnia now.

Appreciate it!

No CN: Only CP trains through the tunnel!

trainjunkie47 wrote:Once you can travel to Canada again, standing on the College Avenue bridge near the Windsor portal is a great way to get a visit from either of CP Rail Police, Canadian Customs, or the Windsor Police. It's been forever since I've been to either end of that tunnel.

I have never had an issue on the Canadian side. In fact when the CP Holiday Train left Windsor (Nov. 2019) there was a whole group of us on the bridge and no law enforcement officials ever approached us (or even drove by).
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5248932
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5248953

The US side is a different story. Not recommended.

So CSX doesn’t run a transfer to Windsor anymore?

I didn't have any problems standing on the Bagley St. bridge sidewalk a few months ago. There are a couple fence gaps where you might be able to fit in a long lens.

JoJames wrote:So CSX doesn’t run a transfer to Windsor anymore?

D718 has been gone for years.

T-21/T-20 handle the CP Windsor to CSX Rougemere Interchange at night.

Good day, wow, can't believe almost 3 years has elapsed since I posted this. The Southwest Greenway path along the east wall of the tunnel portal is almost open, or may already be. I'm curious to know what has changed in terms of traffic under the river, Detroit-Windsor. I believe several of the CP trains got new symbols a year or two ago, and I think one pair of autorack trains has returned. Does anyone have a sense of what trains currently "take the tunnel." I've seen autorack, manifest, and ethanol trains all go by the camera at Elkhart. Those are all tunnel bound, I assume?

On the Detroit side Bagley Bridge is a great spot to see CP come out of the tunnel or go by MCS. Soon a walking path from MCS to the river will open that runs along side the tracks near the tunnel

Delray wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 02, 2023 12:12 pm

On the Detroit side Bagley Bridge is a great spot to see CP come out of the tunnel or go by MCS. Soon a walking path from MCS to the river will open that runs along side the tracks near the tunnel

Correct. The Southwest Greenway trail was under construction last summer and fall and they were predicting "late winter" completion. It may be done. I just wouldn't want to stand around for hours waiting for something to happen, hence my question about how many trains and what symbols travel through the tunnel these days.

Here's a photo of the trail under construction from last August from Bagley (not my photo):