Royal Oak station (Michigan)

Royal Oak, MI
Royal Oak train platform
General information
Location201 South Sherman Drive
Royal Oak, Michigan
United States
Coordinates42°29′21″N 83°08′51″W / 42.48917°N 83.14750°W / 42.48917; -83.14750
OwnerCity of Royal Oak, Grand Trunk Western Railroad
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport SMART 430, 460, 730, 740
Construction
ParkingShort-term only
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: ROY
History
OpenedAugust 2, 1931
1995
ClosedOctober 17, 1983
Passengers
FY 202524,856[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Detroit
toward Chicago
 Wolverine Troy
toward Pontiac
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Detroit
toward Chicago
 Wolverine Birmingham
Closed 2014
toward Pontiac
Preceding station SEMTA Following station
Pleasant Ridge
toward Detroit
 Silver Streak Oakwood Boulevard
toward Pontiac
Preceding station Grand Trunk Western Railroad Following station
Ferndale
toward Detroit
 Detroit and Milwaukee Division Birmingham
toward Grand Haven
Pleasant Ridge
toward Detroit
 Suburban Service (Detroit) Oakwood Boulevard
toward Pontiac
Location

The Royal Oak Transit Center is an intermodal transit station in Royal Oak, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is served by Amtrak's Wolverine, which makes three round trips daily from nearby Pontiac to Chicago, Illinois. It also serves as a major hub for the region's SMART public transit network, serving four crosstown routes, and housing the system's only staffed ticket office in the suburbs.[2] The station's Amtrak platform is unstaffed, though there is an Amtrak ticketing kiosk within SMART's facility.

The original Royal Oak station was located adjacent to Woodward Avenue. The railroad's modern alignment was established in the 1920s when Woodward Avenue was widened and the railroad moved to an eastern route.[3] Commuter service to the new Royal Oak station commenced on August 2, 1931.[4] Even after intercity rail service was consolidated nationwide under Amtrak in 1971, commuter service continued to be subsidized by the state of Michigan until 1983.

The inaugural run of the Amtrak Wolverine extension to Pontiac stopped at Royal Oak on May 3, 1994,[5] though service to the station was halted shortly after due to maintenance, insurance, and staffing issues.[6][7] It was added to the timetables the following year.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal year 2025: State of Michigan" (PDF). Amtrak. January 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Buy Passes". Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ Mrozek, David J., ed. (2008). Railroad Depots of Michigan: 1910-1920. Arcadia Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-7385-5192-0.
  4. ↑ "Commuter Service to Boost North End Growth". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. August 2, 1931. pp. V1, V5. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Spring Training". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. May 4, 1994. p. 1B. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Train stop delayed". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. May 22, 1994. p. 3C. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Pullen, Ginger (November 25, 1994). "Royal Oak may derail train site". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. p. 2B. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Fall/Winter 1995. Amtrak. October 29, 1995. p. 20. Retrieved April 29, 2026.


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