SOUTH BEND, Ind. – South Bend has secured $3.85 million in federal funding to study the possible relocation of Amtrak service from the city’s current station west of downtown to the historic South Bend Union Station.
The Federal Railroad Administration grant will cover 80% of the $4.81 million planning and development phase. The work will examine what would be needed to restore passenger rail service to the city-owned station, including track and signal improvements, platform locations, accessibility, station amenities and connections to local transportation.
“This is our preferred location,” said Marc Magliari, a senior public relations manager with Amtrak. “We’ve spent the last two years working with city staff. This is the closest we’ve come to going where we should be, downtown South Bend.”
The grant does not fund construction or set a date for moving Amtrak service. The city must first complete planning, environmental review, conceptual design and preliminary engineering before seeking additional federal funding for implementation.
“If you’re thinking about timelines, we’re still years away from folks being able to board trains here,” South Bend Mayor James Mueller said. “This is something that the community has wanted for a long time. We’re excited that the momentum that we’ve built together has brought us to a moment where we are competitive and people see the vision for a vibrant train station.”
The city purchased Union Station in 2024 for $2.4 million from entrepreneur Kevin Smith with the goal of turning it back into a working train station. The Art Deco station opened in 1929 and served rail passengers until 1971.
Amtrak currently operates two trains a day in each direction through South Bend, connecting the city to Chicago and destinations farther east, including Washington, New York and Boston. The current station is on Bendix Drive.
A move to a downtown station would not be unprecedented for Amtrak. Magliari said the company has moved out of and back into Union Stations in Minnesota, Kansas City and Cincinnati.
The project still faces engineering and railroad coordination challenges. The tracks used by Amtrak are farther from Union Station and are owned by Norfolk Southern. The planning phase will examine how to restore the physical connection between the station and those tracks.
About 18,000 people currently use the Bendix station, and Magliari said Amtrak will continue serving the existing facility while the downtown proposal moves forward.
“I am confident we will get an even higher number by being right here with the ballpark, with housing and the central business district,” he said. “We’re going to be with you for the long term.”
The city’s long-term transportation vision also includes bringing South Shore Line service downtown, although that is a separate project. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District which operates the South Shore Line, is pursuing federal funding to realign the tracks to the west of South Bend International Airport.
Union Station’s downtown location is a major part of the city’s case for relocating Amtrak. The station is across from Four Winds Field and within walking distance of downtown jobs, housing, entertainment, educational institutions and redevelopment projects. It also is about a block from Transpo’s South Street Station, which serves 15 public bus routes.
“Transportation is a critical infrastructure that connects us to opportunities,” said James Turnwald, executive director of the Michiana Area Council of Governments. “Seeing our roads, our public transit, our trails, our passenger rail service all work together to allow folks to access jobs, businesses, and education and opportunities is critical to what we do. We’re really excited about the opportunity that this creates and the regional connections.”
The city said the planning work will include public engagement and coordination with Amtrak and the host railroads. The goal is to develop a detailed plan that can support a future construction funding request.
Union Station has remained one of South Bend’s most recognizable historic transportation assets, and restoring passenger rail service would give the building a new role in the city’s downtown redevelopment.
“This building represents South Bend’s history, its people and its proud tradition,” said LeAnne Angerman, regional director for U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, who could not attend in person but sent remarks. “This grant is an opportunity to welcome visitors to Michiana in a facility that captures that history and reflects the strength and character of this community, rather than a concrete block structure on the edge of the city.”
The federal award represents progress on a project the city has pursued for years. The grant allows South Bend to move from an idea toward determining what it would take to restore passenger rail service downtown.