Kalamazoo Transportation Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kalamazoo, MI
The 1887-built Michigan Central Railroad depot in 2014
Location	459 North Burdick Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 United States
Coordinates	42°17′44″N 85°35′03″W / 42.29556°N 85.58417°W / 42.29556; -85.58417
Owned by	City of Kalamazoo
Line(s)	Michigan Line
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Bus stands	20
Bus operators	Metro Transit Thruway Motorcoach Greyhound Lines Indian Trails
Construction
Parking	Yes; paid
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak code: KAL
History
Opened	1887
Rebuilt	2006
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	122,115  5.97%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Dowagiac toward Chicago Blue Water Battle Creek toward Port Huron Wolverine Battle Creek toward Pontiac
Former services Preceding station 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 Branch Terminus
Michigan Central Depot (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Architect	Cyrus Eidlitz
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	75000949
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 11, 1975
Location
Kalamazoo, MI Location in Michigan

The Kalamazoo Transportation Center is a busy travel hub in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. It brings together different ways to travel. You can catch Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses here. It's also the main place to switch buses for Kalamazoo's local Metro Transit system.

Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine trains stop at this center. In the past, the International train also stopped here. That train ran between Chicago and Toronto from 1982 to 2004. Amtrak lets you bring two suitcases and personal items like backpacks on board. However, you cannot check luggage at this station.

History of the Station

The original train station was built in 1887. The Michigan Central Railroad constructed it. A famous architect named Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz designed the building. It replaced an older station that was there before.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many trains used this station. Trains from the Michigan Central and New York Central lines passed through. Important trains like the Chicago Mercury and the old Wolverine (NYC train) stopped here.

The station is very old and special. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This means it's an important historical building.

Modern Updates

The station was updated in the early 2000s. It became a modern place for different types of transport. This big project was a team effort. Local, state, and federal groups worked together. The Department of Transportation gave a large grant for the work. This helped make it the transportation center we see today.

What the Building Looks Like

The Kalamazoo depot is a single-story building. It has a Romanesque style. This style often uses round arches and strong, heavy stone. The main part of the roof is high and sloped. Smaller sloped roof sections are on each end.

A porch with a special arch sticks out from one side. The building has strong horizontal lines. Tall brick chimneys and a round tower balance these lines. A cone-shaped turret and stone arches give it a Romanesque feel.

Gallery

• 

  The complex viewed from the corner of Kalamazoo and Rose.

• 

  Looking north towards the train station. The new bus bays are to the left and right.

• 

  Amtrak's Wolverine service at the train station, eastbound.

• 

  Amtrak's Blue Water arrives as the sun sets. Note the Superliner consist.

Where Trains Go

This table shows some of the places you can travel to from Kalamazoo.

• Amtrak – Stations – Kalamazoo, MI