Detroit, MI
112 years later: First train leaves Michigan Central Station in Detroit
DETROIT – The first train rolled out of Michigan Central Station on Dec. 26, 1913.
The locomotive was headed to Saginaw Bay, and a train from Chicago arrived at the new station later that evening.
Michigan Central Station was originally scheduled to open in 1914, but a fire at the old depot at Third and Jefferson avenues forced the station to open early.
“The new station stood last night, lights shining from windows high above the building line in the neighborhood, a sentinel of progress,” the Detroit Tribune published after the station’s rushed opening.
The rise and fall
The large building in Corktown became a symbol known around the world, as travelers came and left Detroit. However, the station would eventually fall victim to decreased train traffic and become a less desirable symbol of decay in the city.
The main waiting room closed in April 1967. Amtrak took over in 1971, reopened the waiting room, and invested over $1 million in renovations, including a new bus terminal.
The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Despite these efforts, use continued to decline. Amtrak moved to a smaller station, and in 1985, the building was sold to Kaybee Corp., a New York-based company.
MCS ceased to serve as a transportation hub when the last Chicago-bound train departed the station on Jan. 5, 1988.
For decades, plans for the building consistently fell through, and it became a place for vandals, the unhoused and urban explorers.
Scrappers had stolen anything they could reach, and the open roof allowed weather to impact the inside of the building.
Rise again
Ford Motor Co. announced it had purchased the train station in the summer of 2018.
The automaker poured significant money into the iconic building and gave tours as it renovated the structure.
More than three thousand workers spent 1.7 million hours of labor on the station. Millions of gallons of water were pumped from the basement.
—> See before and after photos of restoration at Detroit’s Michigan Central Station
The building celebrated its reopening with a massive, sold-out concert on June 6, 2024. Diana Ross, Jack White and Eminem performed.
After years of renovations, the historic train station was given new life and has become a hub for tech and innovation, housing multiple businesses, retail space and more.
But that’s not all. A Literary Lounge is scheduled to open in 2026. A luxury hotel expected to open in 2027 will be located on the top five floors.
A new transit hub, including Amtrak service, is also set to bring new passenger rail and bus connections.
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A woman died, and a person is in custody, in the aftermath of a two-vehicle crash on Friday evening in Detroit.
An emergency call was placed at 7:39 p.m., reporting the crash at Collingwood and Belleterre streets. The Detroit Police Department said one of the drivers was traveling at a high rate of speed on Collingwood and disregarded a stop sign at the intersection, striking the other vehicle.
The crash killed a woman who is in her 40s and injured a man who is also in his 40s. A medical condition was not available for the injured man.
The Detroit Police Department said a suspect is in custody and they are continuing to investigate.
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Federal regulators say the autonomous vehicle company Waymo must stop its cars from blocking first responders. Waymo has been testing its vehicles in Detroit. The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the agency found several cases of Waymo driver-less vehicles traveling into emergency scenes, blocking firefighters or failing to stop for flashing lights and flares. Federal regulators say they will meet with autonomous vehicle developers to devise ways to address the problem. A Waymo vehicle will stop, however, if it notices nefarious activity from kids riding in it. A Waymo car in California recently stopped in a parking lot and called police after two teens in its back seat allegedly began drinking alcohol and shooting water beads from a toy gun.
Additional headlines for Friday, July 10, 2026
Bar IX location coming soon?
Detroit’s first women’s sports bar is crowdfunding to open a permanent space. Bar IX hosts pop-up watch parties for women’s sports. The bar has raised 65 percent of if its 125-thousand-dollar goal since the campaign kicked off on June 30. Organizers are giving away merchandise such as stickers, keychains, and t-shirts with donations.
African World Festival
The African World Festival is this weekend at Hart Plaza. The festival celebrates culture and history with music, spoken word, food and a retail marketplace. The festival starts today and runs through Sunday. Visit Charles H Wright museum website at for more info and to buy tickets.
Lake St. Clair Metropark to receive updates
Lake St. Clair Metropark is getting 15 million dollars in improvements. The improvements include reopening the North Marina, expanding accessibility across the park, adding new trail connections and modernizing infrastructure. It’s the biggest investment in the park in decades. Renovations at the marina will fully reopen the marina with 78 boat slips for transient docking and bring accessible floating finger docks back to the North Marina basin. All renovations are expected to be completed by the end of summer 2027.
Detroit Riverfront tour
The Detroit Parks Coalition is hosting a free walking tour about the Detroit Riverfront tomorrow, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 11a.m. The tour will give an overview of the history of the riverfront as a well as more info on the newest Ralph C Wilson Centennial Park. Meet at the Dock, located near the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Water Garden across from the Plaza. Parking is available along Jefferson Ave, Rosa Parks, and in the nearby Bagley Mobility Hub and Assembly garages.
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