Concrete work at Amtrak Depew

Does anyone know much of the work being done at the Amtrak station in Depew? Some light concrete work has been done to fill in a few spaces and those notorious footprints that have been there since the platform was poured have been covered over.

As far as I heard in the paper it was all remodeling work to make the station more accessible for people with disabilities and that's about it. Maybe a ramp or two here or there, some railings, I don't know, but I'm guessing it's still going to look like a bus station after it's done. A true "Amshack" from the very start, stuck in the ugly 1970's style of sparse, bla architecture.

-B in B

PS: The fantastic looking design drawings of the new Nia. Falls station make me hang my head in shame when I think of what visitors to our once proud railroad town have to see when they walk through the two worn out, boring, and outdated stations that we have here.

I've heard scattered rumors that Amtrak plans to build a new Depew Station, which would be nice, as the old one is a bit "run-down", at least from a railfan's perspective. I hate to think of what folks coming off a train might think of it. However, take this for what it's worth. It's just a rumor.

All they have to do is say the one that's there now isn't compatible with high speed rail and they'll get the money for it eventually.

Compatable with high speed rail?? Run down?? What the hell are we talking about here?

You need the following:
Ticket booth
Waiting area
Restrooms

Which of those doesn't the Depew Amtrak station have? No one would love the see Central Terminal cleaned up and restored as our Western New York train station more then I, but grand elegant stations are expensive and don't sell more tickets.

No, no, no, you don't get it. It doesn't matter whether or not it is actually compatible or not. All they need to do is BS Albany (and probably Washington to some degree as well) that it's not, and if they do it long enough, I'm sure Cuomo will give them what they want.

No one would love the see Central Terminal cleaned up and restored as our Western New York train station more then I, but grand elegant stations are expensive and don't sell more tickets.[/quote]

That's not really what I mean. I took Amtrak down to Florida 2 years ago and saw PLENTY of beautiful, newer, small stations, (not terminals) and even some fully restored old stations. They were clean & neat, looked great, and some even had a lot of history to them. The 2 here in Buffalo are dirty, worn out, ugly, and a blemish on our town to visitors when they arrive or depart by train. I'm embaressed by the way they look & I think we deserve better. BCT is a corpse, it's never coming back, but I feel one or two nicer, small stations would be a lot better that what we have and that new Niagara Falls station is exactly what I want here & I'm jelous of it.

-B in B

Depew is a functional station that serves an important need for suburban customers. It may be somewhat outdated, but it's hardly what I'd call a dump. A larger station with more parking would be ideal as part of a HSR project, but the current station will suffice for now. It's in a safe area and offers convenient access for many Buffalo-area residents to drive to.

And back to the topic...I just heard that where the benches and at the very end of the platform there is going to a "Welcome to Buffalo" sign installed into the concrete. If you go there you'll notice that the sections are roped off with caution tape. Doesn't seem like the best use of there funding, but it is better then sitting there and doing absolutely nothing.

Doesn't seem like the best use of there funding [/quote]

You're right about that! Sorta like hanging some nice, new, $1,000 chrome rims on your old, rotted out 1979 Chevette. Why bother? Might as well save up the cash and buy a new model down the road some other time.

-B in B

1. It's in the wrong location, in the middle of nowhere (more or less) with no viability from the street,
2. It's too small,
3. It might be adequate for Batavia or Niagara Falls, but not for the size of the City of Buffalo where it should be in the 1st place,
4. It can only handle one train at a time, the same problem most of the upstate stations have. Too many times another train has to wait for the 1st to leave,
5. Since it is on a main track, it causes delays & problems to a heavily use set of tracks with limited ability to divert freight trains around due the the lack of opposite crossovers west of the station.

Due to county executives who were/are anti-city and anti-mass transit (LRTT & Amtrak), namely the joke that was in office for 12 years, two (or so) decades ago and the bigger joke that is there now, nothing will ever get done here. Already, just after the election, the anti-rail party wants to destroy what has been proposed for high speed rail across the county including his own state (Florida).

To get back on topic:

Scheduled improvements are:
1. Rework of the platform to include new raised warning area at your feet (yellow bumps). Not sure if it means new concrete or a resurface of some type.
2. New ramp to station, current one is too steep.
3. Parking lot resurface.
4. New Ticket counter
5. New bathrooms.

And yes, its design is simple, but the station is hardly a dump. Its clean, neat, bright. New parking lot, and platform upgrades as well as the interior improvements will go a long way. Its fine station for what it is.

Mike

Neither station serving Buffalo is exactly a "palace" but both do a decent and adequate job. Buffalo is unique among off corridor stops in its having the benefit of two stations, one with good parking and decent highway access and the other in a downtown location that while is not perfect it is not too bad either.
Today Buffalo is far better off than it was when they had just the one station in a poor location, not too much parking and a high operating cost. I doubt if the tickets sold to and from Buffalo began to pay for the operating costs of the old Central Terminal.
Noel Weaver

Mike S. wrote:To get back on topic:

Scheduled improvements are:
1. Rework of the platform to include new raised warning area at your feet (yellow bumps). Not sure if it means new concrete or a resurface of some type.
2. New ramp to station, current one is too steep.
3. Parking lot resurface.
4. New Ticket counter
5. New bathrooms.

And yes, its design is simple, but the station is hardly a dump. Its clean, neat, bright. New parking lot, and platform upgrades as well as the interior improvements will go a long way. Its fine station for what it is.

Mike

Sounds like a common sense plan. All too often, grandiose and impractical projects take precedence in New York State, while simple upkeep and maintenance are neglected. It's as if buildings are deliberately allowed to run down for the sake of bigger, more expensive renovations down the road. I'm glad to see improvements being made to Depew.

I'll be first to admit that Western New York has been the last in line for station improvements over the last decade. When Buffalo and Rochester residents see the station improvements at Syracuse, Rome, Utica and Albany, I'm sure they feel a sense of envy.

goodnightjohnwayne wrote:I'll be first to admit that Western New York has been the last in line for station improvements over the last decade. When Buffalo and Rochester residents see the station improvements at Syracuse, Rome, Utica and Albany, I'm sure they feel a sense of envy.

Yes, as a Rochester resident, I am a bit envious of the improvements made at Syracuse, Utica and Albany. What was done at Rome?

I hope Depew will get a new station at some point. Both that station and Rochester's station are functional but they are also dreary old boxes which look ugly!