Birmingham, MI (BMM)

Ticket Revenue

FY 2011

$992,566

Station Ridership

FY 2011

24,121

Note: Fiscal year is from
October through September.

Passengers at Birmingham are served by an enclosed shelter located trackside; recently, the platforms were renovated. The small structure sits a few blocks east of downtown and is just southeast of the old Grand Trunk Western Railway (GTW) depot.

Growth of the Detroit metropolitan area and the introduction of automobile travel resulted in the widening of Woodward Avenue, which forced the relocation of the GTW tracks in the 1920s. The move necessitated the construction of a new passenger and freight depot. The GTW hired the Detroit firm of Aldinger and Walbridge to construct the modern, steel-framed building designed in the then-popular Tudor Revival style.

The picturesque asymmetrical façade was dominated by a large, projecting, gabled entrance faced in white limestone with an arched doorway protected by a canopy. Flanking the main entrance were two gables that featured decorative timberwork framing panels set with red-brown brick in herringbone and basket weave patterns. Ground floor windows were trimmed with limestone that aesthetically tied them to the entrance gable while a slate roof visually unified the structure. Costing $125,000, the building was hailed in a 1931 grand opening that included a speech by the governor, a parade, and a concert. After a half century of use, the depot closed to passengers in 1978, due to mounting maintenance costs.

In 1984, the GTW depot was restored and converted into a restaurant, a function which remains today. Recognized for its strong historic integrity and important social role within the community, the depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

In the 2000s, Birmingham and Troy considered the construction of a new multi-modal center to serve both communities. It was to include space for rail functions, as well as for local bus service, taxis, and rental cars. The station would have been physically located in Troy, but a tunnel was to lead to the passenger platforms located on the Birmingham side of the border. Since the facility was envisioned as the hub of a new transportation-oriented development to include residential construction coupled with retail and commercial space, a local developer donated the parcel for the station on the condition that the project break ground within a set number of years.

Funding for the multi-million dollar facility was procured from the following sources: a $250,000 LED Lighting Grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth; $1.3 million in federal earmarks; $8.5 million in High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Funds; and matches to federal funds from the municipalities of Birmingham and Troy.

Birmingham withdrew from the project in early 2011 after it was unable to secure trackside property at a price that fell within its budget. Troy leaders chose to continue planning for the multi-modal center until city elections in the fall produced a new mayor and City Council members who expressed concerns over the project financing. Subsequently, in December 2011, the City Council voted to turn down the $8.5 million in federal stimulus funds. Since the project has been cancelled, the parcel will revert to the developer according to the original agreement.

Settled in 1819, the area became known as Birmingham after a local landowner decided to name his plat after the famous English industrial city which he hoped the new community would emulate. This vision succeeded for a brief period as the town became a magnet for foundries, brick-making factories, and other industrial concerns. A number of hotels opened along present-day Woodward Avenue which tied Birmingham to both Detroit and towns to the north such as Pontiac—Birmingham was a popular stagecoach stop between the two towns.

Birmingham was one of the initial settlements in Michigan to receive regular rail service in 1839. It lay between Detroit and Pontiac, the endpoints of the state’s first chartered rail line. In the last decades of the 19th century, the town became a stop on the Grand Trunk that linked southern Canada with Chicago and the upper Midwest. Similar to many communities that embraced City Beautiful ideals, the 1890s brought forth a period of physical improvements in Birmingham. Connections to neighboring municipalities were strengthened by an electric street car service; the town subsequently became a desirable commuter suburb as the regional population exploded.

Birmingham has a reputation throughout the Detroit metropolitan area for its diverse culinary establishments and retail corridors which include everything from a weekly Farmers’ Market to upscale boutiques. Coupled with an expansive park system, the city remains a sought-after suburb a century after it was first connected to Detroit by streetcar.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing or baggage services at Birmingham which is served by six daily trains.