 Kalamazoo, MI | Blue Water | East Lansing, MI  |
| Wolverine | Albion, MI  |
Trains in Battle Creek stop at the City of Battle Creek Transportation Center, a Multi-modal Transportation Center dedicated on June 12, 2012. This project was a $3.6 million refurbishment of the original station that was last updated in 1982 with a trailer in use starting on August 3, 2011.
Battle Creek has two historical train stations (still in existence) on the former Michigan Central railroad and the Grand Truck Western Railroad, although a track realignment project south of downtown required trains to relocate to the site of the then Greyhound/Indian Trails terminal that was rebuilt to become the city's railroad station as well. These intermodal bus connections at the station exist to this day, with Amtrak offering through ticketing here (as well as connections at Kalamazoo) all over Northern Michigan, including to the upper peninsula. The station is the one scheduled fresh air stop on both the Wolverine Trains and Blue Water Trains because it is a crew change point where both conductors and locomotive engineers change. Amtrak has provided service continuously to Battle Creek.
Strangely, the 2012 project didn't seem to rebuild the platforms with trains stopping at a low-level slab of concrete along the northernmost track of the two-track line. It just removed a canopy structure that once lined portions of this platform. This slab of concrete connects with the middle of the station's "platform" that contains decorative pavers that connects between the grade-crossings of McCamly Street and Capitol Avenue. The edge of this non-platform has a painted yellow line (including where it just leads down to the ballast) along its entire length. The depot and actual boarding platform are closer to McCamly Street since than Capitol Avenue. The actual platform contains a line of modern blue text on grey Amtrak station signs that line the edge of the actual platform just beyond the non-platform. There are additional signs on the opposite side of the two-track line facing the platform.
The middle of the in-use platform contains a dip (that continues to the non-platform path) that is designed to provide a crossing to a little boarding zone on the opposite track, but it doesn't appear a grade-crossing is present to the opposite track.
The middle of the boarding platform (where it dips to be a grade-crossing), contains the closest thing to a platform canopy. Here is an opening with a gate that leads out to a covered (by a silver arched windscreen) walkway that leads across a gated off 'patio' area and to doors into the transportation center. The rest of the platform just contains tall fencing requiring passengers to go into the transportation center for Long Term Parking lot. There is direct access to the 'platform' from the Kiss & Ride loop with cars able to park along the platform.
The transportation center building interior contains benches for waiting passengers (open for all Amtrak departures 8:00am to 10:00pm), restrooms along with ticket offices for both Indian Trails and Amtrak (only staffed weekdays for one shift 8:00am to 3:30pm).
On the west side of the depot are doors out to a little drop-off and pick-up loop (with a tactile warning strip). There are about 5 short-term parking spaces in the middle of this car loop. Just north of the vehicle car loop doors lead out to a small and slightly curved bus stop area.
This same western side is where doors lead out to long-distance buses, Greyhound and Indian Trails (that operates a network of once-a-day buses supported by the state of Michigan all the way to the Upper Peninsula). These buses have a one-way bus only driveway that is entered from Hamblin Avenue, parallel and north of the station, and exited to McCalmly Street. The long-distance bus area includes a curved silver canopy structure to protect waiting bus passengers.
Across McCamly Street from the depot (alongside Houston Street) is the Transfer Center for the Battle Creek Transit local Bus System. This is a simple off-street bus facility with a single boarding island (buses operate left-side running around loop) containing 5 sawtooth bus bays on each side (10 total) of 5 simple black canopy structures.
The north side of the depot leads out to a little outdoor plaza. The east side leads out to a small approximately 30 space long-term parking area, with gated arms to charge for paid parking at the one entrance and exit from Capital Avenue SW. This driveway has an entrance sign that says: “City of Battle Creek Transportation Center: Long Term Parking Area.”
Photos 1-43: November 16, 2019; 44-49: April 29, 2025; 50-60: June 9, 2025;
