Kalamazoo Transportation Center Explained

Kalamazoo, MI
Address:459 North Burdick Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Country:United States
Coordinates:42.2956°N -85.5842°W
Line:Amtrak Michigan Line
Platform:1 side platform, 1 island platform
Parking:Yes; paid
Tracks:2
Bus Stands:20
Bus Operators: Amtrak Thruway
Greyhound Lines
Indian Trails
Metro Transit
Opened:1887
Rebuilt:2006
Accessible:Yes
Owned:City of Kalamazoo
Style:Amtrak
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Nrhp:
Embed:yes
Michigan Central Depot (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
Location:Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Marker:rail
Zoom:15
Architect:Cyrus Eidlitz
Added:July 11, 1975
Refnum:75000949
Designated Other1:Michigan
Designated Other1 Date:February 21, 1975

The Kalamazoo Transportation Center is an intermodal complex in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. Both Amtrak and Greyhound provide regular service, and the center is also the major downtown transfer hub for Kalamazoo's Metro Transit bus system.[1] It is the second-busiest Amtrak station in Michigan.[2]

It is served by Amtrak's and trains and was formerly a stop for the, which had started in 1982 as joint operation by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto, was discontinued in 2004.[3] Amtrak does not allow passengers to check luggage at Kalamazoo, but does permit carry-on of up to two suitcases plus "personal items" such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant gear.

Development

The original depot was built in 1887 by the Michigan Central Railroad, to a design by architect Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz,[4] replacing an earlier structure. Regular passenger rail service between Kalamazoo and Detroit had commenced in 1846.[5] 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).[6]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1975.[7] [8]

The station was rebuilt as a multi-modal facility in the early 21st century. The project was a collaboration between local, state, and federal authorities, with the Department of Transportation awarding a $3.8 million grant.[9]

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.

References

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Jessup . Kathy . September 16, 2006 . Transportation center off to smooth start . Kalamazoo Gazette.
  2. Web site: March 2024 . Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023, State of Michigan . Amtrak.
  3. Web site: Matt Melzer . April 23, 2004 . Final Run of the Amtrak / VIA International . TrainWeb.org . From 1982, Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada had jointly operated the International train between Chicago and Toronto . August 4, 2015.
  4. Book: Potter, Janet Greenstein . Great American Railroad Stations . John Wiley & Sons, Inc. . 1996 . 978-0471143895 . New York . 344.
  5. Web site: 2014-10-13 . Michigan's Railroad History 1825 - 2014 . 2023-12-01 . Michigan Department of Transportation.
  6. June 1951 New York Central timetable, Tables 7, 15, 26 http://streamlinermemories.info/NYC/NYC51-6TT.pdf
  7. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MI/Kalamazoo/state.html Kalamazoo County Listings
  8. Kohrman (2003), 23.
  9. Web site: October 19, 2004 . $3.8 Million Transit Grant Will Help Revitalize Downtown Kalamazoo . dead . U.S. Department of Transportation . November 16, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060924034656/http://www.dot.gov/affairs/fta5404.htm . September 24, 2006.