Kansas City, Mo ? Passenger rail service officially returned to a refurbished Union Station on Tuesday, in what local leaders view as a focal point for urban redevelopment.

Dozens of city leaders, station workers and railroad enthusiasts opened Amtrak’s new ticket and waiting areas.

Turner White, chief executive officer of Union Station Kansas City Inc., said Amtrak’s return symbolized the “usefulness that passenger rail service represents.”

Amtrak offers service nationwide, including two trains daily between St. Louis and Kansas City. According to Amtrak figures, 113,319 passengers got on and off trains in Kansas City, the 62nd-busiest station in the country.

Outside the station, a newly constructed covered walkway leads to the elevated platform with a view of Kansas City’s freight house and downtown to the north.

Mayor Kay Barnes said Union Station served as the heart of the River Crown Plaza, the city’s long-range plan for development between the Missouri River and the Country Club Plaza.

“It is the jewel in the crown of Kansas City,” Barnes said, adding that Union Station could become the gateway for visitors and urban growth in the 21st century.

The return of Amtrak is the latest piece in Union Station’s rebirth, which began with its reopening in 1999. Built in 1914, the station was once the hub of activity in Kansas City, with more than 200 trains passing through at its peak.