Schenectady station

Schenectady, NY
Schenectady station in 2021
General information
Other namesSchenectady Intermodal Station
Location332 Erie Boulevard
Schenectady, New York
United States
Coordinates42°48′53″N 73°56′34″W / 42.8146°N 73.9428°W / 42.8146; -73.9428
OwnerCapital District Transportation Authority
Lines
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport CDTA: 351, 353, 355, 370, 605, 763, 810, 905
Construction
ParkingYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: SDY
Via Rail: SCHE
IATA codeZTD[citation needed]
History
Opened1908; 118 years ago (1908)
Rebuilt1979, 2018
Passengers
FY 202563,212 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Saratoga Springs
toward Montreal
 Adirondack Albany–Rensselaer
toward New York
Amsterdam
toward Niagara Falls, New York
 Empire Service
Saratoga Springs
toward Burlington
 Ethan Allen Express
Amsterdam
toward Toronto
 Maple Leaf
Utica
toward Chicago
 Lake Shore Limited Albany–Rensselaer
toward New York or Boston South
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Former service at Colonie-Schenectady
Utica
toward Chicago
 Lake Shore
1971–1972
 Albany–Rensselaer
toward New York (Grand Central)
Amsterdam
toward Detroit (Michigan Central)
 Niagara Rainbow
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station
Former services at Schenectady Union Station
Hoffman's
toward Chicago
 Main Line Carman
toward New York
Terminus Schenectady – Troy Aqueduct
toward Troy
Location

Schenectady station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Schenectady, New York. The station is served by five Amtrak services. The Lake Shore Limited operates one train in each direction daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. The Empire Service operates three trains in each direction daily between Niagara Falls and New York City. The Maple Leaf, Ethan Allen Express, and Adirondack each operate one train in each direction daily, serving Toronto, Burlington, and Montreal, respectively, from New York City. The station was rebuilt in 2018 and is owned by the Capital District Transportation Authority, which also owns the Albany–Rensselaer and Saratoga Springs stations.

History

Original station

Postcard of Schenectady Union Station

The current station is the third station built on the site. The original Schenectady Union Station was constructed in 1908 by the New York Central Railroad after the railroad grade was raised throughout the city. It remained in service until 1969, when Penn Central closed it because of low ridership and the cost of heating and maintaining the large station. It was replaced by Colonie-Schenectady near NY-155 several miles to the east in Colonie.

Penn Central sold the Union Station building to the city of Schenectady in December 1970 for US$20,000 (equivalent to $165,810 in 2025). There were proposals to renovate the building as an opera house for the Schenectady Light Opera Company, but the plans did not proceed. The city demolished the Union Station in 1971 to make way for a parking lot.

First Amtrak station

The 1979-built station, demolished in 2017

After Amtrak assumed operation of most intercity passenger rail service in the United States, discussions began about moving the Schenectady stop from Colonie back to its original location.

Train service returned to Schenectady in 1978, and construction began on a new station. Passengers began boarding at the new station in October 1978, although customer service agents were not present until July 29, 1979. The station was completed and formally opened on August 8, 1979.

The station followed the Amtrak Standard Stations Program. It was built beneath the railroad tracks, with an elevator and staircase leading to a railway platform between the two tracks. The project was funded through a partnership between Amtrak, the State of New York and the City of Schenectady. The state funded rehabilitation of the tracks, Amtrak funded most of the station construction, and the city donated the land.

The return of service to Schenectady sharply reduced ridership at Colonie-Schenectady, which closed on September 9, 1979. The closure allowed trains to operate at full speed between Albany and Schenectady.

2018 station

Schenectady station shortly after opening in October 2018

The replacement station, known as the Schenectady Intermodal Station, was constructed on the site of the 1979 station and serves Amtrak and local transit services. The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) received a $4,200,000 (equivalent to $6,201,000 in 2025) grant for the planned station in October 2010.

By 2014, federal and state funding for the new station had reached $15,000,000 (equivalent to $20,400,000 in 2025). The CDTA had completed much of the design work for a four-story station building, but the project was later reduced to two stories. In 2015, the Metroplex Development Authority sold Amtrak 2,400 square feet (220 m2) of parking lot for construction of a temporary station, allowing the 1979 station to be demolished before construction of its replacement.

In March 2016, NYSDOT announced that it would seek new bids after the sole bid from the first round was $24,900,000 (equivalent to $33,404,000 in 2025), compared with a budget of $14,600,000 (equivalent to $19,586,000 in 2025). The rebidding delayed the expected opening of the station to 2018. NYSDOT subsequently divided the project into two contracts for rebidding. Demolition of the existing station and repairs to the viaduct were bid in February 2017, with the lowest bid totaling $5,400,000 (equivalent to $7,093,000 in 2025).

Lake Shore Limited train at Schenectady

The 1979 station closed and was demolished in July 2017. A temporary stairwell and platform with a shelter were erected in a parking lot north of the station site to serve passengers during construction.

The replacement station has two floors, a domed roof, arched windows, and expanded seating. Its interior includes images of the Erie Canal and the former American Locomotive Company train yard. The station also includes retail space, charging stations, and digital display boards. It opened on October 17, 2018.

The construction of the new station was part of upgrades to the Empire Corridor. In March 2020, Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express service at the station was suspended as part of Amtrak's service reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the trains truncated to Albany–Rensselaer station. Ethan Allen Express service resumed on July 19, 2021, and Adirondack service to Montreal resumed on April 4, 2023.

Station layout

The station has one low-level island platform. An additional track exists east of Track 2, which does not serve the station nor carry revenue passenger service.

References

  1. ↑ "New Amtrak Station Opens". The Ithaca Journal. August 9, 1979. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal year 2025: State of New York" (PDF). Amtrak. January 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Goldstein, Stephen (August 10, 1979). "Amtrak Station at Colonie will close Sept. 9". Schenectady Gazette – via Google News.
  4. ↑ "Not A Good Time To Be Named "Union Station"". hoxsie.org. August 3, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "New Schenectady Station Added to Amtrak's Great Stations List". Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority. November 9, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Schenectady, NY (SDY)". Great American Stations (Amtrak). Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  7. ↑ "SCHENECTADY NEW YORK (SDY)". TrainWeb. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Empire Service Trains Now Stop At Schenectady (Amtrak News)". Amtrak History & Archives. November 1978. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ "New Schenectady Station Opens, State, City, Amtrak Cooperate On Project". Amtrak News. 6 (10). Amtrak: 10. September 1979.
  10. 1 2 "Schenectady Intermodal Station Project Funded". Great American Stations (Amtrak). Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Construction of new Schenectady Amtrak station set for 2015". Trains Magazine. January 21, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Land sale approved for new Schenectady station". Trains Magazine. August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ "State wants new bids for Schenectady train station". Albany Business Review. March 30, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  14. ↑ Williams, Stephen (July 19, 2016). "NY: Schenectady Train Station Project Split in Two". McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016 – via Mass Transit Magazine.
  15. ↑ Williams, Stephen (March 30, 2017). "Schenectady train station demolition draws 3 bids". Daily Gazette. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Eric (June 30, 2017). "Schenectady Amtrak station closed; awaiting replacement". Albany (N.Y.) Times Union. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  17. ↑ Samuels, Bret (July 11, 2017). "Cuomo unveils new Schenectady train station design". Daily Gazette. Schenectady, N.Y.: Gazette Newspapers. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  18. ↑ Beam, Andrew (September 13, 2018). "Dome placed atop Schenectady's new Amtrak station". Daily Gazette.
  19. ↑ "Governor Cuomo Announces Grand Opening of Schenectady Train Station". Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. October 17, 2018. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus" (Press release). Amtrak. March 24, 2020. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Adirondack Train | Amtrak".
  22. ↑ "Vermont marking return of Amtrak service after COVID". Associated Press. July 19, 2021.
  23. ↑ Weaver, Shaye (March 23, 2023). "This gorgeous train through the Adirondacks officially returns on April 4!". Time Out New York. Retrieved August 4, 2023.