Kalamazoo Transportation Center

Last updated
Kalamazoo, MI
Michigan Central Depot-Kalamazoo.jpg
The 1887-built Michigan Central Railroad depot in 2014
General information
Location459 North Burdick Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan
United States
Coordinates 42°17′44″N85°35′03″W / 42.29556°N 85.58417°W / 42.29556; -85.58417
Owned byCity of Kalamazoo
Line(s)Amtrak Michigan Line
Platforms1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks2
Bus stands20
Bus operators
Construction
ParkingYes; paid
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code Amtrak: KAL
History
Opened1887
Rebuilt2006
Passengers
FY 202397,957 [1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Dowagiac
toward Chicago
Blue Water Battle Creek
toward Port Huron
Wolverine Battle Creek
toward Pontiac
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Niles
toward Chicago
Lake Cities Battle Creek
toward Pontiac
Dowagiac
toward Chicago
International Battle Creek
toward Toronto
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station
Mattawan
toward Chicago
Michigan Central Railroad
Main Line
Comstock
toward Buffalo
Portage
toward Elkhart
Kalamazoo Branch Argenta
toward Grand Rapids
Alamo
toward South Haven
South Haven BranchTerminus
Michigan Central Depot (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
Kalamazoo Transportation Center
Location Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
ArchitectCyrus Eidlitz
Architectural style Romanesque
NRHP reference No. 75000949 [2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 11, 1975
Designated MSHSFebruary 21, 1975

The Kalamazoo Transportation Center is an Intermodal train and bus station in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. [3] It is the second-busiest Amtrak station in Michigan, after Ann Arbor. [4] The Kalamazoo Transportation Center serves as the main hub for Kalamazoo Metro local buses, and also serves intercity buses operated by Greyhound and Indian Trails.

Contents

The railroad station was built in 1887 by the Michigan Central Railroad, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. An expansion project in 2005 and 2006 renovated the original station building and added a bus station for local and intercity buses.

The station is served by Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine trains, as part of Amtrak's Michigan Services brand. The station was formerly served by the International , a TorontoChicago service which operated from 1982 to 2004 as a partnership between Via Rail and Amtrak. [5]

History

Looking north towards the train station. The new bus bays are to the left and right. Kalamazoo transportation center bus 2006.png
Looking north towards the train station. The new bus bays are to the left and right.

The original depot was built in 1887 by the Michigan Central Railroad, to a design by architect Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz, [6] replacing an earlier structure. Regular passenger rail service between Kalamazoo and Detroit had commenced in 1846. [7] In the main part of its history in the latter 19th century and early 20th century, the depot hosted trains for the Michigan Central and the New York Central. Major NYC named trains passing through the station included the Canadian (east to Detroit and Toronto), the Chicago Mercury (east to Detroit) and the Wolverine (east to New York via Detroit and southwestern Canada, in contrast to the modern train). [8]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1975. [9] [10]

The station was rebuilt as a multi-modal facility in 2005. The project was a collaboration between local, state, and federal authorities, with the Department of Transportation awarding a $3.8 million grant. [11]

Description

The original Kalamazoo depot is a single-story Romanesque structure with a high hip-roofed central mass, and smaller hip-roofed sections on each end. A gable-roofed porch with a Syrian arch protrudes on one side of the central mass. The main structure has strong horizontal lines, counterbalanced by brick chimneys and an octagonal cupola that extend vertically from the roof. A conical turret and rock-faced masonry arches in the facade provide the Romanesque feel. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Michigan Services</i>

Michigan Services are three Amtrak passenger rail routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with the Michigan cities of Grand Rapids, Port Huron, and Pontiac, and stations en route. The group falls under the Amtrak Midwest brand and is a component of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Central Railroad</span> US railroad established 1846

The Michigan Central Railroad was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad, which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail. After the 1998 Conrail breakup, Norfolk Southern Railway now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Station (Chicago terminal)</span> Railroad terminal in Chicago, Illinois

Central Station was an intercity passenger terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at the southern end of Grant Park near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue. Owned by the Illinois Central Railroad, it also served other companies via trackage rights. It opened in 1893, replacing Great Central Station, and closed in 1972 when Amtrak rerouted services to Union Station. The station building was demolished in 1974. It is now the site of a redevelopment called Central Station, Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrisburg Transportation Center</span> Intermodal station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The Harrisburg Transportation Center is a railway station and transportation hub in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is located on the eastern edge of Downtown Harrisburg between the intersections of Aberdeen and Market Streets and 4th and Chestnut Streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Central Station</span> Former railroad station in Detroit, Michigan

Michigan Central Station is the historic former main intercity passenger rail station in Detroit, Michigan. Built for the Michigan Central Railroad, it replaced the original depot in downtown Detroit, which had been shuttered after a major fire on December 26, 1913, forcing the still unfinished station into early service. Formally dedicated on January 4, 1914, the station remained open for business until January 6, 1988, when Amtrak service was relocated. The station building consisted of a train depot and a 230-foot office tower with thirteen stories above two mezzanine levels. The tallest rail station in the world at the time of its construction, the Beaux-Arts style architecture was designed by architects who had previously worked on Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durand Union Station</span> Train station in Durand, Michigan, USA

Durand Union Station is a historic train station in Durand, Michigan. The station, which now serves Amtrak Blue Water trains, was originally a busy Grand Trunk Western Railroad and Ann Arbor Railroad hub, as well as a local office for Grand Trunk Western, from its construction in 1903 until 1974. It is currently owned by the city of Durand and leased by Durand Union Station, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of the building and its surrounding property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento Valley Station</span> Railway station in Sacramento, California, US

Sacramento Valley Station is an Amtrak railway station in the city of Sacramento, California, at 401 I Street on the corner of Fifth Street, built in 1926 on the site of China Slough. It is the thirteenth busiest Amtrak station in the country, and the second busiest in the Western United States. It is served by four different Amtrak train routes and connecting Amtrak Thruway motorcoaches. It is also the western terminus for the Gold Line of the SacRT light rail system and the Route 30 bus serving California State University, Sacramento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fullerton Transportation Center</span> Transit center in Fullerton, California, U.S.

The Fullerton Transportation Center is a transit center located in Fullerton, California, United States. It is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Southwest Chief trains, as well as Metrolink's 91/Perris Valley Line and Orange County Line trains. It is also a major bus depot for the OC Bus system, and is one of the major transportation hubs of Orange County.

<i>Wolverine</i> (train) Amtrak service between Chicago, Illinois, and Pontiac, Michigan

The Wolverine is a higher-speed passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The 304-mile (489 km) line provides three daily round-trips between Chicago and Pontiac, Michigan, via Ann Arbor and Detroit. It carries a heritage train name descended from the New York Central Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor station</span> Train station in Michigan

Ann Arbor station is a train station in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States that is served by Amtrak's Wolverine, which runs three times daily in each direction between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan, via Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niles station</span> Amtrak intercity train station in Niles, Michigan

Niles station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Niles, Michigan. The station is served by three daily Wolverine round trips and one daily Blue Water round trip. It is located on the Michigan Line, east of the former Benton Harbor Branch crossing and west of the former junctions with the South Bend and Air Line Branches. The station building was constructed by the Michigan Central in 1892 to a design by architects Spier and Rohns. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Michigan Central Railroad Niles Depot. The station was upgraded in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford Union Station</span> Train station in Hartford, Connecticut, US

Hartford Union Station is a railroad station in Hartford, Connecticut, United States on the New Haven–Springfield Line. It is served by Amtrak Amtrak Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer, and Vermonter intercity rail service, plus CT Rail Hartford Line commuter rail service and CTfastrak bus rapid transit service.

Battle Creek Transportation Center is an intermodal station in Battle Creek, Michigan, used by Amtrak, Indian Trails and Greyhound Lines. It is at the split between the routes of Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine passenger trains. The International Limited, which had started in 1982 as joint operation by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto, was discontinued in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dowagiac station</span> Railway station in Dowagiac, Michigan, U.S.

Dowagiac is a train station in Dowagiac, Michigan, served by Amtrak, the United States' railroad passenger system. The station was built by the Michigan Central Railroad in 1902, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint station (Michigan)</span> Railway station in Michigan

Flint station is an inter-modal transportation center in Flint, Michigan. It is served by Amtrak's Blue Water route, and doubles as the intercity bus station for Amtrak Thruway and Indian Trails, as well as the local city bus service, the Flint Mass Transportation Authority, who owns the station. The station was built as part of the Amtrak Standard Stations Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson station (Michigan)</span> Railroad station opened in 1841

Jackson station is a historic Amtrak station in Jackson, Michigan, United States. It is served by three daily Wolverine trains between Chicago and Pontiac and a single daily Amtrak Thruway bus between Toledo, Detroit, Jackson, and East Lansing. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle Creek station (Michigan Central Railroad)</span> Station in Battle Creek, Michigan

Battle Creek station, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Penn Central Railway Station, is a disused train station in Battle Creek, Michigan. It opened on July 27, 1888. Rogers and MacFarlane of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth century. Masonry of Lake Superior red sandstone, noted for its distinctive patterns, provides one of the most striking aspects of the Depot's exterior. Another prominent feature of the Depot is its clock tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Transportation Center</span>

The Pontiac Transportation Center is an intermodal terminal station located in Pontiac, Michigan that is served by Amtrak's Michigan Services Wolverine. The transportation center is also served by Indian Trails intercity bus service and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) regional bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEMTA Commuter Rail</span> Former commuter rail line in Detroit, Michigan

SEMTA Commuter Rail, also known as the Silver Streak, was a commuter train operated by the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) and the Grand Trunk Western Railroad between Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan. It began in 1974 when SEMTA assumed control of the Grand Trunk's existing commuter trains over the route. SEMTA discontinued operations in 1983. Amtrak began offering intercity service between Detroit and Pontiac in 1994 as part of its Michigan Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor station (Michigan Central Railroad)</span> Former railroad station in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Ann Arbor station is a former Michigan Central Railroad station located at 401 Depot Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was converted into a restaurant, the Gandy Dancer, in 1970, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Michigan Central Railroad Depot in 1975.

References

  1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Michigan" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Jessup, Kathy (September 16, 2006). "Transportation center off to smooth start". Kalamazoo Gazette .
  4. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023, State of Michigan" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024.
  5. Matt Melzer (April 23, 2004). "Final Run of the Amtrak / VIA International". TrainWeb.org. Retrieved August 4, 2015. From 1982, Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada had jointly operated the International train between Chicago and Toronto
  6. Potter, Janet Greenstein (1996). Great American Railroad Stations. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 344. ISBN   978-0471143895.
  7. "Michigan's Railroad History 1825 - 2014" (PDF). Michigan Department of Transportation. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  8. June 1951 New York Central timetable, Tables 7, 15, 26 http://streamlinermemories.info/NYC/NYC51-6TT.pdf
  9. Kalamazoo County Listings
  10. Kohrman (2003), 23.
  11. "$3.8 Million Transit Grant Will Help Revitalize Downtown Kalamazoo". U.S. Department of Transportation. October 19, 2004. Archived from the original on September 24, 2006. Retrieved November 16, 2006.
  12. John Kern (April 22, 1975), NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM: Michigan Central Depot, File Unit: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Michigan, 1964 - 2013

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Kalamazoo Transportation Center at Wikimedia Commons