Buffalo Train Station
Ribbon cutting for the Buffalo Train Station in November 2020.
Located near popular destinations such as Canalside and KeyBank Center, the new station is constructed on the same grounds as the existing 66-year-old Amtrak Station but is elevated and moved closer to the street to improve access and visibility. The new station is woven into Buffalo’s urban fabric, with improved connectivity to the city’s light rail system–via a new covered pedestrian plaza–and increased accommodation for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Seating capacity at the facility increased from 20 to 40 persons, while the image of a Buffalo is featured at the center of the station’s Terrazzo floor. The existing station’s low-level platform were replaced by a new train-level platform for easier boarding. The new station also includes a Taste NY kiosk that provides food and beverage choices for passengers. Energy efficient and environmentally friendly materials were used in the new station’s construction and the facility is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A planned second phase of the project will expand the station further to accommodate intercity bus service and additional train routes, creating a truly intermodal transit center for downtown Buffalo.
October 2016 – New York State issued a $1 million, six-month challenge to City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to convene a group of stakeholders, hire a consultant to provide technical information and expertise to guide the discussion, and to ultimately recommend the ideal location for a new, modern train station.
April 2017 – A committee convened by Mayor Brown chooses the current Amtrak station location as the location of the new station. The project calls for the old station to be demolished and the new, larger station built at the same location. A temporary station will be erected to service passengers during the construction process.
December 2018 – To save time and reduce costs, a $27.7 million contract was awarded that will employ the design-build project delivery method where both the engineering design and the construction of a project are contracted by a single entity known as the design-builder.
Summer 2019 - A temporary train station was built in the summer of 2019 and opened in August 2019. This allowed the contractor to demolish the old station and begin construction of the new station.
September 2020 - Work on the Buffalo Train Station continues to progress with the expectation that the facility will open this fall. Internal brick and HVAC work, a retaining wall, roofing and window frames, and lighting foundations are currently being installed. Work continues to erect steel along the platform and pour concrete under the building canopy and platform deck.
November 2020 - The Buffalo Train Station's ribbon was cut. It is now complete and open to the public.
The new Exchange Street Station, an intermodal transportation hub, is twice the size of the existing rail station and offers travelers an interconnected gateway to Downtown Buffalo. The state-of-the-art transportation center brings travelers directly into the heart of the city and offers easy connections to bus and light rail service. It promotes economic activity and tourism for the area’s many attractions. Buffalo Billion funds totaling $25 million have been allocated for this $29.85 million project. The former small, non-descript Amtrak Exchange Street Station iwas deteriorating and overwhelmed by the Thruway and its elevated on-and-off ramps. It was unfit as the gateway to New York’s second largest city, and demanded replacement.
DOT Project Page here