Durand Union Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Durand, MI
Location	200 Railroad Street Durand, Michigan
Owned by	City of Durand (leased by Durand Union Station, Inc.)
Line(s)	CN
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	Yes; free
Other information
Station code	DRD
History
Opened	1903
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	13,738  6.11%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station East Lansing toward Chicago Blue Water Flint toward Port Huron
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station East Lansing toward Chicago International Flint toward Toronto Preceding station Grand Trunk Western Railroad Following station Bancroft toward Chicago Main Line Duffield toward Port Huron Vernon toward Grand Haven Detroit and Milwaukee Division Gaines toward Detroit Lennon toward Oa-at-ka Beach Cincinnati, Saginaw and Mackinaw Division Terminus
Grand Trunk Railway Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Architect	Grand Trunk Railway Co. of Canada, and Spier and Rohns
NRHP reference No.	71000419
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 6, 1971

Durand Union Station is a historic train station in Durand, Michigan. The station, which now serves Amtrak Blue Water trains, was originally a busy Grand Trunk Western Railroad and Ann Arbor Railroad station, as well as a local office for Grand Trunk Western, from its construction in 1903 until 1974. It is currently owned by the city of Durand and leased by Durand Union Station, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of the building and its surrounding property.

The building also houses three small railroad history museums: the Michigan Railroad History Museum (which doubles as a gift shop), the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Museum, and the Ann Arbor Railroad History Museum. Also in the building is the model railroad club the Durand Union Station Model Railroad Engineers and its large layout, and a ballroom for special events and parties.

The station sits at the junction of Canadian National Railway's busy mainline interchange of the Flint and Holly Subdivisions. Additionally, Great Lakes Central Railroad and Huron and Eastern Railway operate near the station, and a freight yard used by all three carriers is located just north of it. It is one of Michigan's most popular locations for railfans to visit, especially during the annual Durand Railroad Days Festival in May. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 1971, and the Michigan Register of Historic Places in 1987.

The station's lessees are currently attempting to raise $50,000 for building repairs.

History

The station is an important part of railway history in the state. Built in 1903 by the Detroit firm of Spier and Rohns it had a high volume of rail traffic as the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor railroads crossed at that location. It was almost destroyed by fire in 1905, but quickly rebuilt. At its peak, 42 passenger, 22 mail, and 78 freight trains passed through Durand on a daily basis. It serviced almost 3,000 passengers a day.

In July, 1950, the station lost northwest-southeast service with the Ann Arbor Railroad's terminating passenger service, which went from Toledo to Frankfort and Elberta on Lake Michigan. (Elberta was a launch point for ferries north and west across Lake Michigan.) Into the 1960s the Grand Trunk Western (operating in Canada under the Canadian National Railway) three trains a day operated as part of Chicago - Port Huron - London - Toronto trains: Inter-City Limited, International Limited (only making stops on the eastbound trip) and La Salle.

In 1971, the Grand Trunk Western terminated its last trains through Durand. These included the International Limited, its Chicago-Detroit Mohawk and an unnamed duplicate itinerary train with that route. In 1974, the GTW decided to close the station due to declining traffic. The historic building was going to be torn down, however, the city of Durand filed for an injunction to stop the demolition and eventually purchased the station in 1979 for $1.00.

Amtrak restored service through the station in 1974 and today Amtrak continues to provide daily intercity passenger rail service on the Blue Water route between Chicago and Port Huron, a remnant of the Grand Trunk service. Baggage cannot be checked at this location; however, up to two suitcases in addition to any "personal items" such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant equipment are allowed on board as carry-ons. From 1982–2004, it was instead served by the modern incarnation of the International Limited, operated jointly by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto.

• Amtrak – Stations – Durand, MI