Station: Detroit, MI - MCRR Station

The Michigan Central Railroad station was built in 1913 and designed by Warren and Wetmore, Reed and Stem. It is located at 2405 West Vernor Avenue and overlooks Roosevelt Park. It is of Beaux-Arts Classical design. [BOM]

Image info: Top, The MC depot in Detroit. [Mark Dobronski collection]. 2nd photo, the depot with abandoned train sheds in 1995. [Jim Carsen]. 3rd photo, detail from the front of the building [Charlie Whipp]. 4th photo, a view of the Michigan Central Railroad station in Detroit, taken around 1940. Though road passenger trains were powered by steam locomotives, terminal switching and tunnel pulls to Windsor were powered by electric locomotives, of which there are at least two in the photograph. [Jim Betancourt collection]. 5th photo, the depot and the Detroit skyline in the early 1980's shortly before Amtrak discontinued operations here moving them to a station in the New Center area of Detroit. [Charlie Whipp]. 6th photo, a view of the west approach to the depot in 2001. [Charles Geletzke Jr.]. 7th photo, a view of the Michigan Central station in 2003, looking east from approximately Bay City Jct. (W. Grand Blvd.), [John Agnew], 8th image, a 1913 view of the street car loading circle on the west side of the depot.

Notes

In addition to 11 station tracks, the facility had a large coach yard, pullman car service facility, and team tracks. There were also six freight main tracks adjacent to the station to reach the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and the Third Street freight station along the river.

Prior to the building of this terminal, the railroad used some of this property as stock yards.

Time Line

1917. The MC depot was staffed by a Wire Chief, assistant wire chief and operators on all shifts. [TRT] The Detroit division dispatcher was also located here.

2024. After being abandoned, the station was purchased by the Ford Motor Company, who completed a beautiful 5-year restoration. The station was reopened (sans passenger train service) in 2024.