Dearborn Amtrak Station Going to Cats and Dogs

The former Amtrak station in Dearborn, Michigan, is being converted into an animal shelter.

The pet welfare group Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit expects to begin operations there next summer.

It will replace another shelter the group has used for more than 30 years.

Amtrak used the station until December 2014 when the Chicago-Detroit (Pontiac) Wolverine Service trains began stopping at the new John D. Dingell Transit Center.

Officials said renovation of the Amtrak into an animal shelter will be done in two steps and cost $5.7 million.

The first stage will involve 10,000 square feet of space, including dog and cat housing, expanded adoption services and a storage area.

The second stage will add 6,000 square feet of space for animal intake and evaluation, medical facilities and administrative space.

The group said it has railed $4.7 million of the money needed to transform the station.

Streets Near Dearborn Amtrak Station to Close for Crossing,Track Work on Wolverine Route

Work on upgrading the tracks used by Amtrak through Dearborn, Michigan, will result in some streets in the Detroit suburb being closed.

The work to upgrade the route for higher-speed rail service will not close the John D. Dingell Transit Center, where six Amtrak Wolverine Service trains stop daily.

Workers will be doing track work and making grade crossing improvements.

Michael Frezell, communications manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation, said the work will begin July 20 and be finished by mid-November. Not all streets will be closed at the same time.

Each detour has been approved by local agencies, road authorities and emergency responders.

Frezell said MDOT is doing what it can to minimize the inconvenience for those driving in the area.

“Once these projects are complete it will be benefit for motorists as there will be smoother grade crossings complete with new concrete panels. It also will be a benefit for Amtrak passengers as trains will be able to go through this area faster and more efficiently,” Frezell said.

Nearly 79,000 Amtrak passengers used the Dearborn Amtrak station last year, making it the busiest in metro Detroit.

Large Crowd Tours New Dearborn Station

A crowd estimated at more than 300 toured the John D. Dingell Transit Center in Dearborn, Mich., on Monday.

The facility, which opened recently, serves as a suburban Detroit station for Amtrak’s six Chicago-Detroit (Pontiac) Wolverine Service trains.

The station is two miles from the previous Amtrak station. The intermodal center, built at a cost for $28.2 million, also serves local transit buses.

Speaking at the ceremony was U.S. Rep.-elect Debbie Dingell, whose ailing husband was first elected to Congress in 1955 and won 29 terms before retiring this year.

The Dingell Center is located across from the Henry Ford Museum and is linked to the museum grounds by a walkway.

A Comfort Inn is located within walking distance east of the center and a Tim Horton’s franchise will soon open on station land along the street. The restaurant’s lease payments will help cover center’s maintenance expenses and contribute to a capital fund.

New Dearborn Amtrak Station Gets High Green

Work is moving again on building a new intermodal station in Dearborn, Mich., that Amtrak will use for its Wolverine Service trains.

The Dearborn city council last week approved adding $185,000 to its contract with Neumann Smith, which is providing architect and engineer services for the facility, which is expected to cost $2.7 million.

“The project was originally scheduled for completion in August 2013,” Council President Susan Dabaja said. “Due to circumstances beyond the control of the design team or the City of Dearborn, the construction has been delayed for one year.”

The additional money was requested by the Economic and Community Development Department to cover extended construction administration services as a result of the delay.

The construction timeline was delayed for a year in part because of the sale of the railroad right-of-way to Amtrak. Another delay occurred when the design concept for a movable platform was not approved until this spring.

The Dearborn Council also agreed to extend the lease with Amtrak for the building and parking lot at the rear of the police and court buildings at the same rate of $31,000 per year.

“Amtrak has leased those facilities since 1978,” Dabja said. The previously approved lease extensions expired on April 1.

The city agreed to Amtrak’s request to extend the lease on a month-to-month basis not to extend a year, pending the construction of the new train station and prorated to reflect the number of months necessary for Amtrak to move into the new train station facility.

City officials are optimistic that the new station will be completed in the next few months. The Federal Railroad Administration is helping to fund the new facility, which will be down as the Dearborn Intermodal Passenger Rail Facility.

Dearborn to Get New Amtrak Station

Dearborn, Mich., will be getting a new intermodal facility to replace its current Amtrak station, but the opening of that new depot has been delayed until August 2014. The intermodal hub had been slated to open in the spring.

The Dearborn City Council recently voted to allow Mayor Jack O’Reilly to amend the construction contract for the intermodal facility to extend the construction period to August.

The council also approved a $100,000 change order with architectural and engineering firm Neumann/Smith that will increase the value of the contract to slightly more than $2.5 million.

City officials said the added time for construction is necessary because of the sale of the Norfolk Southern tracks between Dearborn and Kalamazoo, Mich., took longer than expected.

The Michigan Department of Transportation purchased the rail line, which was originally the Michigan Central, to preserve Amtrak service after NS said it would not maintain the route to keep the current passenger train speeds.

The additional $100,000 is being spent because the platform specifications changed. NS insisted that more space be provided to accommodate the width of its freight cars.

MDOT is considering adding a second set of tracks in the vicinity of the new intermodal hub in an effort to speed up the running time between Dearborn and Kalamazoo.

The Dearborn intermodal station will be named in honor of U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-12th District)

It will be located on the south side of Michigan Avenue, between Brady and Evergreen roads. An extension over the tracks into Greenfield Village is part of the construction.

A federal grant administered by the state Department of Transportation is paying for the facility’s construction. Once it’s open, the city will be responsible for its costs.

The current Amtrak station is owned by the city. It is located behind the Police Department/19th District Court building.

Amtrak serves Dearborn with six daily Wolverine Service trains between Chicago and Detroit (Pontiac).