By DANIEL HERATY
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Approval for a $29.5 million grant will soon bring a new train station to the city.
U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) announced Friday that federal funding has been approved for the Michigan Department of Transportation to build a new Amtrak station in Dearborn.
The funding will come from the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, started in 2009 by the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration.
“This is such an exciting day for the city of Dearborn,” Dingell said in a statement. “Improving passenger rail service is something I have long supported, and I look forward to helping this project succeed.”
The money will allow the city to consolidate the existing Amtrak Station, 16121 Michigan Ave., with an existing stop at The Henry Ford for prearranged passengers to exit. The new station, near the Jack Demmer Lincoln, 21531 Michigan Ave, will feature tourist shuttles, bus services, and transportation to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and will increase tourism to downtown west Dearborn and The Henry Ford.
The Henry Ford President Patricia Mooradian said in the statement that they have worked with the city, MDOT and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments for over 10 years on the project.
Mayor John O’Reilly Jr. said city officials are hoping to start construction in the fall. He said basic plans have been in place for some time, but they needed approval for federal funding before anything further could be done.
“We’re pretty far along,” he said. “We’ve procured a construction manager, we’ve already selected a design firm for the project, so they’ve already done the preliminary work. Today (Friday) we’re telling them to go ahead and get started.”
He said there are no current plans for the future of the existing station.
“We talked with the Dearborn Animal Shelter where the would have a new animal shelter,” he said. “Or it could be used to house some other type of operation. We’ll have about a year and a half until we have to be out of there completely. We’ll look at the options.”
(Daniel Heraty can be reached at [email protected])