Dearborn train station to be named for Congressman John D. Dingell Jr.

Intermodal Passenger Rail Station will be named after longest-serving member of Congress

DEARBORN, Mich. – Dearborn's new intermodal passenger rail station will be named after John D. Dingell, Jr., the longest-serving member of Congress in the history of the United States.

Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr. initiated the honor because of Dingell's support for the city he calls home.

"He has represented Dearborn since 1964. That's longer than any other city in his historic career," said Mayor O'Reilly.

The Dearborn City Council approved the mayor's proposal on July 23.

"He is just a true public servant. He is humble and also incredibly effective," said Mayor O'Reilly, who was once a staff member for the Congressman.

The train station is a particularly appropriate tribute to him, the Mayor says.

The station:

The Intermodal Passenger Rail Station is funded with $28.2 million from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Read: New train station coming to Dearborn

The train station, under construction on Michigan Avenue near Brady, is a key component in many new rail initiatives, including the proposed commuter line between Ann Arbor and Detroit, and the high speed rail line between Detroit and Chicago, currently in the works.

It is also the focus of conceptual plans for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in Dearborn. The train station is expected to generate additional customer traffic and business opportunities in Dearborn.

It will also provide benefits to the University of Michigan-Dearborn, The Henry Ford: America's Greatest History Attraction, and Ford Motor Company.

It is called an intermodal train station because it will allow passengers to easily connect with rental cars, taxis, buses and shuttles, as well as bike and pedestrian paths, as they travel to jobs, shops, schools and visitor attractions in Dearborn.

It is set to open in early 2014.

Dingell:

When the rail project encountered bureaucratic delays at the federal level, the Congressman brought key decision-makers together, and the project quickly moved forward.

He previously presided over the creation of Medicare and the passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.

He was key to the Civil Rights Act.

Congressman Dingell is Chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee, having chaired it 1981-94 and 2007-08.

He also served as chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.        

He is cheered in Dearborn as a stalwart defender of the auto industry.