GRAND RAPIDS'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Grand Rapids in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.

THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Grand Rapids, during the golden age of passenger trains. Most passenger trains used Union Station.

Union Station
61 Ionia Ave. SW
Opened 1900

Number of station tracks: 7
Non interlocked switches controlled as follows:
Williams Street switchtender - south of station and controlled Bartlett Street Jct.
Wealthy Street Jct. switchtender

Grand Trunk Station
239 Michigan St. NW

CHESAPEAKE & OHIO/PERE MARQUETTE

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  9  Resort Special        Petoskey        1:05   --   2:20
 10  Resort Special        Detroit         3:45
  9  Resort Special        Chicago         3:50   --   3:30
101                        Petoskey        7:40   25   6:15
  3                        Chicago        12:30
  4                        Detroit        12:40   14   7:45 am     7:40
  5                        Chicago         4:50    9   8:00 am     7:25
  6                        Detroit         5:20   12   5:05        2:45
  7  Night Express         Chicago        11:59       11:59
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  9  Resort Special        Detroit        12:20
 10  Resort Special        Chicago        12:35   --   2:00
 10  Resort Special        Petoskey        3:25   --   3:10
  2  Night Express         Chicago         6:40   10   5:15
  3                        Detroit        11:50   11  11:30       11:40
  6                        Chicago         4:10
  7                        Detroit         8:20   15   8:05        9:05
  8                        Chicago        10:15        9:40       11:45
106                        Petoskey       10:20   26   9:45
Passenger service initially discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.

NEW YORK CENTRAL

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

108                        Jackson         1:00  628   1:00 pm
106                        Detroit        11:30 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

101                        Jackson         5:05 am
105                        Jackson        11:30  625  10:10 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1959.

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

519  Northern Arrow        Mackinaw City   1:33        2:27
520  Northern Arrow        Cincinnati      1:40       12:38
521                        Muskegon        8:55
539                        Mackinaw City   9:10
523                        Muskegon       12:55
508                        Fort Wayne      4:20
506                        Fort Wayne     10:25
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

519  Northern Arrow        Cincinnati      1:25        2:27
520  Northern Arrow        Mackinaw City   1:32       12:38
537                        Fort Wayne      8:40
522                        Muskegon       11:55
511                        Fort Wayne      3:00
508                        Mackinaw City   4:10
524                        Muskegon        4:50
Passenger stop discontinued in 1955.

GRAND TRUNK WESTERN

(Grand Trunk Station)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 22                        Detroit         3:45        1:20
 57                        Muskegon        4:30        5:40
 51  (mixed train)         Grand Haven     8:30
 56                        Detroit         1:30        1:05
 21                        Muskegon        5:45        6:10
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 57                        Detroit         4:25        4:50
 56                        Muskegon        1:25       12:55
 50  (mixed train)         Grand Haven     3:15
 21                        Detroit         5:40        6:03
 22                        Muskegon       11:59       12:55
Passenger service discontinued in 1960.

Until the late 1930's, a separate New York Central line also operated into Grand Rapids from Elkhart, using its own separate station.

STATIONS TODAY

Grand Rapids Union Station closed in 1958 and has been demolished. By then, the only PRR passenger service was seasonal and omitted stopping in Grand Rapids. From then until the 1971 creation of Amtrak, C&O passenger trains used a station off Freeman Ave. SW near its Plaster Creek Yard. Amtrak restored service to Grand Rapids in 1984, using a modest new station at 431 Wealthy St. SW. In 2014, Amtrak moved to a new station at 440 Century Ave. SW.

Michigan Railroads/Kent County
Link to a Web page containing further information on the historic stations.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.