Michigan Central Station

In related development, General Motors has indicated they will leave the Renaissance Center downtown, their home for almost 30 years, for a few floors of the new Hudson tower a mile up Woodward. What GM is planning to do with their old building, which they own, is not clear. But thats a lot of empty office space in a town with 25pct vacancy, while Ford has to figure out how to get some tenants into MCS.

Supposedly GM was looking at a huge bill to renovate the hvac so perhaps the Renaissance Center is not an attractive building anymore.

Evokes the past: Axios

Michigan Central's restoration stirs memories of Detroit train station

The majestic rebirth of Michigan Central Station has stirred memories of holiday travels, senior trips and childhood awe among those who passed through its grand halls over the decades.

The big picture: The train station has been restored to its former glory through a six-year restoration that began when Ford bought the building in 2018 after decades of abandonment.

The public will get its first look next week after an outdoor concert June 6 (all 15,000 concert tickets were claimed within minutes).
Flashback: More than 4,000 passengers packed Michigan Central's vast waiting room every day in the 1940s, per HistoricDetroit.org.
...

As Opening Day nears, nationally circulated media is taking note:

New York Times

NBC News

Hopefully there's a marker on the spot where Batman nearly killed Superman.

I'm not allowed to embed media, but there are a bunch of videos on Youtube showing the renovation, including this one:

Beautiful job, Ford. I love these kind of renovations. No need to keep the graffiti though.
Maybe trains can return some day?

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 8:46 am
Maybe trains can return some day?

That would be cool, and I think it might just happen. By having an occupant for most of the station, now there are lease dollars flowing into the property to maintain all of it. SO if you have 6-ish trains/day rolling into a 2-3 track terminal, they don't have to support security and upkeep on 20 acres and 20 floors with just the 400 passengers/day that barely cover the operating costs of the train. if they ever interline to Canada (which I don't agree with), this becomes more likely as you can't stop at the current hovel and then go to Canada without a backup procedure. Also you'd have to sack the Pontiac run, but I've never understood why a Pontiac resident would board a train that zigzags 1.5 hours east through Detroit when you could just drive to Ann Arbor or Dearborn in your personal car.

You take a train from Pontiac to Ann Arbor when driving isn't an option--Ann Arbor is the third most common destination from Pontiac. https://narprail.org/site/assets/files/2351/pnt.pdf

Modern multiple units that can split amongst the 3 or 4 Michigan routes, and combine for the run into Chicago, wouks be the best option

RandallW wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 7:40 pm You take a train from Pontiac to Ann Arbor when driving isn't an option--Ann Arbor is the third most common destination from Pontiac. https://narprail.org/site/assets/files/2351/pnt.pdf

That's not good. What that means is a large chunk of seats that could have a passenger paying to go to Chicago, Niles, or even Milwaukee, Seattle, or Los Angeles is taking a joyride to Ann Arbor. That should be handled by a commuter train or bus. IN other words, the railroad makes $15 when they could make $85 or $850. Further, there are perhaps 5-6 stations in Metro Detroit if you count Ann Arbor. What if you live somewhere other than those five locales? You drive or take a taxi (or a bus). Amtrak should not be selling intra-Detroit tickets.

David Benton wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2024 2:40 pm Modern multiple units that can split amongst the 3 or 4 Michigan routes, and combine for the run into Chicago, wouks be the best option

Agree. I've long said that the Blue Water route should be a connecting 2-car train at Battle Creek for every Wolverine. Whether you make it a coupling DMU or a shuttle train, it makes a lot more sense from a corridor perspective.

Tadman wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2024 9:39 pm

RandallW wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 7:40 pm You take a train from Pontiac to Ann Arbor when driving isn't an option--Ann Arbor is the third most common destination from Pontiac. https://narprail.org/site/assets/files/2351/pnt.pdf

That's not good. What that means is a large chunk of seats that could have a passenger paying to go to Chicago, Niles, or even Milwaukee, Seattle, or Los Angeles is taking a joyride to Ann Arbor. That should be handled by a commuter train or bus. IN other words, the railroad makes $15 when they could make $85 or $850. Further, there are perhaps 5-6 stations in Metro Detroit if you count Ann Arbor. What if you live somewhere other than those five locales? You drive or take a taxi (or a bus). Amtrak should not be selling intra-Detroit tickets.

The state of Michigan supports what the state of Michigan wants to support. Amtrak's only input into this is to tell Michigan what it would cost, and I'll place money it was less expensive to extend a train with a single crew than to run multiple trains with multiple crews (or even busses--based on some studies from VDOT, the capitol costs of a bus and it's supporting infrastructure combined with the operating costs can be more than the costs of adding a station to an existing train route).

The idea that people who don't have the means to drive themselves everywhere are automatically "freeloaders" when they are not traveling between major cities exclusively is the idea that everyone who lives and works outside of major cities deserves to be ignored because they essentially live in "flyover country" is the idea that every single train service in the USA is purely a luxury to be enjoyed solely by those who can afford to make a luxurious choice and that train and other public transportation services should only serve people traveling the full length of the route and never to any points in between.

Also you guys do know what's in Ann Arbor right?

From Hyatt Regency; Old Greenwich CT--

Yes Mr. Lensovet, this Illinois graduate does

lensovet wrote: ↑Sun Jun 09, 2024 4:14 pm Also you guys do know what's in Ann Arbor right?

The Graves of members of iggy and the stooges?

The state of Michigan supports what the state of Michigan wants to support.}

That does not and never has equaled best practice. Has no bearing on whether it's state, feds, Amtrak, or man on the moon that dictate such. Carrying passengers 20 miles on a 300 mile train is a bad idea for reasons I've already stated. These trains are often sold out and it seems lately they are apt to cancel the third frequency quite often.

Also you guys do know what's in Ann Arbor right?

As a former MIchigan resident I am well aware, but again not best practice to do things this way.