GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The grand opening of the Amtrak station in Grand Rapids is set for at 10 a.m. on Oct 27. The station is named in honor of the former U.S. Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers. Amtrak, federal, and state officials will speak at the event, which is open to the public.

The new $6.1 million Amtrak station includes serves both buses and Amtrak trains. Travelers can connect with the new bus rapid transit “Silver Line,” local bus transit routes, intercity buses, and taxis.

The new station is closer to Grand Rapids central business district. It offers a larger waiting room, restrooms, an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant platform with a covered canopy, a clock tower, and 118 parking spots.

Amtrak’s Grand Rapids-Chicago Pere Marquette serves the station. The first train to depart from the station does so at 7:40 a.m. on Oct. 27. It will return at 9.55 p.m.

Funding for the station came from a $4.6 million U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration grant and a $1.5 million match in Federal Transit Administration, Michigan Department of Transportation, and local funds.