A train journey from Ann Arbor to Chicago is an easy way to travel. Amtrak runs multiple trains throughout the day on this route which actually starts from Pontiac. The journey of approximately 4 hours can frequently be delayed by upto 30 minutes. Apart from experiencing this first hand, I also overheard a very upset American complaining that this delay had resulted in him reaching 30 minutes late to his job interview. Hopefully, he will still get the job as the interviewer seemed sympathetic to his cause.
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| Ann Arbor, Amtrak station, Front entrance in March 2017 |
The train route meanders down from Ann Arbor through Jackson, Battle creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo before entering the state of Illinois. After stopping over at Michigan city, it heads into Chicago to stop at the union station.
Kalamazoo is approximately the mid-point (for travelers from Detroit) located 142 miles from Detroit and 138 miles from Chicago. The phrase Timbuktu to Kalamazoo (both real places) commonly used by English speakers to refers to journeys between exotic places. The word is thought to originate from native American's of the Hopewell culture. The journey ends at the historic Union station of Chicago.
