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Kalamazoo Transportation Center
The Kalamazoo Transportation Center is an intermodal complex in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. Both Amtrak and Greyhound provide regular service, and the center is also the major downtown transfer hub for Kalamazoo's Metro Transit bus system.[3] It is the second-busiest Amtrak station in Michigan.[4] It is served by Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine trains and was formerly a stop for the International, which had started in 1982 as joint operation by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto, was discontinued in 2004.[5] Amtrak does not allow passengers to check luggage at Kalamazoo, but does permit carry-on of up to two suitcases plus "personal items" such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant gear. Development The original depot was built in 1887 by the Michigan Central Railroad, to a design by architect Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz,[6] replacing an earlier structure. Regular passenger rail service between Kalamazoo and Detroit had commenced in 1846.[7] In the main part of its history in the latter 19th century and early 20th century, the depot hosted trains for the Michigan Central and the New York Central. Major NYC named trains passing through the station included the Canadian (east to Detroit and Toronto), the Chicago Mercury (east to Detroit) and the Wolverine (east to New York via Detroit and southwestern Canada, in contrast to the modern train).[8] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1975.[9][10] The station was rebuilt as a multi-modal facility in the early 21st century.[when?] The project was a collaboration between local, state, and federal authorities, with the Department of Transportation awarding a $3.8 million grant.[11] DescriptionThe original Kalamazoo depot is a single-story Romanesque structure with a high hip-roofed central mass, and smaller hip-roofed sections on each end. A gable-roofed porch with a Syrian arch protrudes on one side of the central mass. The main structure has strong horizontal lines, counterbalanced by brick chimneys and an octagonal cupola that extend vertically from the roof. A conical turret and rock-faced masonry arches in the facade provide the Romanesque feel.[12] References
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