The Kalamazoo Transportation Center is an
intermodal complex in downtown
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...
.
Amtrak and
Greyhound provide regular service there. The center is also the major downtown transfer hub for Kalamazoo's
Metro Transit bus system.
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.
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
The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in ...
, to a design by architect
Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz, replacing an earlier structure. In the main part of its history in the latter 19th century and early 20th century, it hosted trains for the
Michigan Central and the
New York Central
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
. 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 (NYC train)'' (east to New York via Detroit and southwestern Canada, in contrast to the modern train).
It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1975.
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.
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
Kalamazoo Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
on the National Register of Historic Places
Kalamazoo Transportation Center (Michigan Passenger Stations)
{{Amtrak Michigan stations
Amtrak stations in Michigan
Bus stations in Michigan
Michigan Line
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1887
Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Transit centers in the United States
Buildings and structures in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Transportation in Kalamazoo County, Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Former Michigan Central Railroad stations