LANSING – Michigan has an opportunity to grow its freight and passenger rail lines and it would be a “major disservice” not to tie Detroit Metro Airport into that system, Governor Rick Snyder said Monday.

Although still fresh off a defeat on legislative approval for the New International Trade Crossing, Snyder did not lose sight of that issue, telling the Michigan Rail Summit, “We do need to get that bridge built.”

But officials should also focus on building a rail tunnel between Detroit and Canada, he said, which would help haul container loads and allow the auto industry more flexibility for shipping.

Improving the existing rail yard in Detroit is also critical.

“That’s something that should be very high on our list,” Snyder said. “Both are job creators.”

Taking questions from the audience gathered at the Lansing Center, Snyder said his administration is focused on completing acquisition and upgrades to the rail line between Chicago and Detroit for high-speed passenger service, but people concerned about connecting other parts of the state via rail shouldn’t be discouraged because that can be part of a long-term plan.

Commuter rail lines between Detroit and Ann Arbor and out to Howell also should be part of the planning process, Snyder said, but won’t likely move forward for a couple years. Noting he sees the traffic on U.S. 23 during his commutes to Lansing, Mr. Snyder said the highway either needs upgrades or “you need a commuter line.”

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari told reporters the administration believes in restoring Detroit as a logistical hub.

“We have not kept up with the need,” he said of growing rail and freight capacity.

Snyder said drawing a circle around Detroit that encapsulates Montreal and Chicago would take up one-third of the economy, with Michigan as the hub in that wheel.

“This is about being the center of a longer logistical connection,” he said.

Snyder said the state would, however, only get involved in projects that have long-term viability.

“The math does need to work,” he said. “We’ll only spend money where we see a good return on investment.”

The summit was hosted by the Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan Association of Rail Passengers, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Railroads Association and The Right Place, Inc.

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