State Gets Funding For Dearborn Train Station
DEARBORN (WWJ/AP) - State transportation officials have received more than $28.2 million to build a train station in Dearborn. The federal funding is part of a larger plan to bring high-speed rail to the Midwest.
The planned facility will allow the city consolidate its two passenger rail stations into an intermodal station in the west section of downtown Dearborn. The facility will be designed to accommodate passenger rail, buses and an Ann Arbor-to-Detroit commuter rail line. The new facility also will include a pedestrian overpass to The Henry Ford history attraction that includes the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
U.S. Congressman John D. Dingell said modernizing rail travel will help attract small business development, increase job growth, and enhance the livelihood of communities and business, by helping to expedite the time and efficiency of people and goods getting from point A to point B.
Dearborn Mayor John O'Reilly said the project is part of a larger strategy to increase the number of potential customers coming to Dearborn, sustaining existing businesses and attracting new activity and investments.
Patricia E. Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford, said the new Dearborn Intermodal Train Station will spur additional travel to the city, affording a new entryway onto The Henry Ford campus while serving as a catalyst for new transit oriented development within the community. She also said the project demonstrates the close and committed collaboration between public and private sector entities to make Dearborn a more attractive place for people to live, work and visit.
The station will also accommodate city, regional and intercity bus systems; local and tourist shuttles; bicycle and greenway linkages; and, auto, taxi, and limousine connections to Detroit International Airport. Additionally, the station will continue to serve Amtrak's Wolverine line, which provides round trips daily between Pontiac and Chicago.
About $400 million is being spent on high-speed rail service in the Midwest, including $196.5 million for track rehabilitation and upgrades to signals along the 235-mile route between Detroit and Chicago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
