Michigan Central officials optimistic on resurrecting train service

Passenger rail service could return to Michigan Central Station , but the restored depot is unlikely to operate as a full-fledged train station again, officials say.

The big picture: Interest in reviving train services at Michigan Central coincides with federally funded studies for new and improved train options in Detroit and throughout the Midwest.

Flashback: The last train left Michigan Central in 1988 , bound for Chicago.

• At its peak in the 1940s, more than 4,000 passengers used the train station daily.

What they're saying: Michigan Central officials have discussed the possibility of bringing back passenger rail, CEO Josh Sirefman said.

• "I don't think there's a circumstance where the building starts to function like it used to as a station in that sense, but we believe the opportunities are real to create passenger rail in the future."

State of play: Detroit's existing Amtrak station in New Center is in limbo .

• MDOT is exploring future locations for a new transit hub offering both train and intercity bus services.

Zoom in: Expanded Amtrak service to Windsor with a stop at Michigan Central (or nearby) is on the table, the Detroit News reported in November.

• "We appreciate the willingness of Ford properties to discuss use of the area outside the building for possible platforms to support a service connecting to Canada," Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari wrote to Axios in an email last week. "Discussion of a future service remains an active conversation with parties on both sides of the river."

🥊 Reality check: Talks are in the early stages.

• Cross-border service to Canada could start in late 2027, the News reported, citing an Amtrak conceptual document shared at a Windsor press conference.

The intrigue: Reviving rail at Michigan Central could be integrated into the property.

• "All of the design of our public spaces south of the station takes into account that possibility and can easily be evolved if that were to be the case," Melissa Dittmer, Michigan Central's head of place, said during a recent tour of the renovated train station.