The Vernon J. Ehlers Station (also called Grand Rapids station) is an Amtrak train station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It is located on Century Avenue under the Wealthy Street/US Highway 131 overpass, immediately south of The Rapid's Central Station. The station is the eastern terminus of the daily service. It opened in 2014, replacing a previous station opened in 1984. It is named in honor of former Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers.

History

The earlier Union Station (1900) was demolished, 1958–1959, to make way for US Highway 131 expansion into a freeway. Several companies ran passenger trains through the station: New York Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad and Pere Marquette Railway later assumed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.Great American Stations, "Grand Rapids, MI (GRR)" http://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/grand-rapids-mi-grr/Grand Rapids Historical Commission, "Union Depot" http://www.historygrandrapids.org/photo/1474/union-depot'Grand River Times,' "Grand Rapids Union Station Train Shed" http://www.historygrandrapids.org/document/677/grand-rapids-union-station-tra'Official Guide of the Railways,' August 1936, Index of Railroad Stations Passenger service ended on April 30, 1971.Roelofs, Ted (July 29, 1984). “Rail Buffs Take Heart: Clickety-Clack's Back”. Grand Rapids Press. p. 97.]

In 1984, Amtrak announced it would introduce service from Grand Rapids to Chicago.Roelofs, Ted (March 23, 1984). “Amtrak Gives OK For G.R.-Chicago Passenger Service”. Grand Rapids Press. p. 1. Prior possibilities for providing service to Chicago included connecting Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, with a multimodal station at the corner of Fulton and Ottawa, prior to that site being slated for a future arena; see Roelofs, Ted (Oct. 28, 1983). “Proposal for Rail Link To Chicago Passes Test”. Grand Rapids Press. p. 23; and Roelofs, Ted (Jan. 20, 1984). “Outlook Bright for Chicago to GR Amtrak Rail Service”. Grand Rapids Press. p. 27. The city quickly planned a new temporary depot at the corner of Wealthy Street and Market Avenue, with the hope that it would be replaced by a multimodal facility including bus service "within a few years.""City Approves Funds to Design Train Depot" (April 25, 1984). Grand Rapids Press. p. 39. Construction by Kalamazoo-based Opus One Construction was completed in less than one month.“City Awards Contract for Amtrak Passenger Depot” (July 6, 1984). Grand Rapids Press. p. 27 Service debuted on August 5, 1984.“Roelofs, Ted (August 6, 1984). “Service Debuts on the Right Track”. Grand Rapids Press. p. 1. What was intended to be a temporary station was instead used for 30 years.

Funding for a new station at the corner of Wealthy and Century Avenue was approved in 2010. In October 2011, groundbreaking occurred on the new station. It is named in honor of former Michigan Congressman Vern Ehlers. The new station enables fully intermodal transit while allowing for more efficient train turnarounds. It was funded by a US$3.8 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration and $850,000 from the City of Grand Rapids.

Due to delays in construction from CSX and the City of Grand Rapids, the station construction started in the summer of 2013. The new station opened on October 27, 2014.

Like its predecessor, the station has no checked baggage service, and is open one hour before trains arrive. However, a Quik-Trak kiosk is available. An Amtrak Thruway route runs between this station and Kalamazoo to connect with the Wolverine.

Transit connections Central Station lies a short distance north of the new Amtrak station.

References

External links

Grand Rapids Station (Michigan Passenger Stations) Grand Rapids Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)