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  • Buffalo Central Station under Amtrak (Past, Present, Future)

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1478086  by gokeefe
 
Another $5 million in restoration funding ...
New York State has announced a grant of $5 million to weatherize and repair the long-vacant Central Terminal railroad station on Buffalo's East Side.
This is precisely the type of approach that led to MCS being chosen by Ford. Button the building up and make it possible to conduct restoration work.

NY seems to be keeping their options open in Buffalo. I think it's also worth noting that BCT is in much better condition than MCS.
 #1513160  by gokeefe
 
I've noticed that BCT advocacy groups remain hopeful with regards to the potential return of Amtrak to the terminal. Buffalo-Depew remains in service and will not be replaced by the new Buffalo-Exchange Street station. BUF (Depew) appears to be a candidate for replacement in the next 10 years and was originally built to replace BCT as Buffalo's station for through service trains.

Concourse issues aside are there any reasons BCT can't resume it's role as the through service terminal?
 #1513162  by Roadgeek Adam
 
For one thing, the active tracks are well away (639ft) from the headhouse.

Building a new station at Exchange Street is cheaper, though the answer was absolutely the Larkinville proposal that died.

I'm in a small minority, but I'm ready to raze the abandoned concourse.
 #1513164  by gokeefe
 
BFX (Exchange Street) won't serve trains that run through Buffalo.

The new BFX is immaterial to the future of trains that use BUF (Depew) and run through west of Buffalo.

At present the Lake Shore Limited is the sole example of a train that bypasses BFX. However, all trains running to BFX (2x Empire Service and Maple Leaf) also stop at BUF.
 #1513179  by Roadgeek Adam
 
Which is why the Larkinville proposal was best. You'd serve Empire Service, Maple Leaf & Lake Shore Limited trains, have to build maybe 2 platforms and an overpass and a switch for the LSL to change tracks.

It's close enough to Buffalo Exchange Street that you could close it anyway, and it is closer to downtown than Buffalo Central at 1/2 the cost probably. (I also oppose closing Buffalo-Depew even with a Larkinville station, but if the Depew station was closed, I'd probably go with a Batavia station being built.)
 #1513256  by gokeefe
 
I think it's notable that the municipal government felt the real issue worth fighting for here was the downtown station. I can empathize with their concern. Losing Exchange Street station while gaining something further out of town that could serve everything was not really a step forward. In some ways it would be a repeat of the original mistake made when BCT was built.
 #1513261  by Backshophoss
 
The given is CSX will not allow the concourse to be rebuilt over the mainlines to Canada at BCT's location,leaving the only
option of rebuilding the baggage concourse for passenger use,a very $$$$$$ option at best,depending on the water damage to
the concrete structure there.
 #1513267  by gokeefe
 
I don't take that as a given at all. Amtrak and NYSDOT would work with CSX to provide whatever clearance was needed. I don't expect CSX to be friendly with the CTRC. But a request from Amtrak and NYSDOT is another matter entirely.
 #1513270  by Backshophoss
 
After CR jumped thru all the Hoops to remove that section for Double stack clearance,CSX will fight any replacement of that section
With the baggage concourse,CR could not undercut the ROW.
Pump out that concourse and check that concrete structure, that's the better fix to bring Amtrak back to BCT if possible.
otherwise all bets are off!!
 #1513271  by Roadgeek Adam
 
And the absurd amount it would cost to restore that overpass would be millions on its own. Maybe north of 10.

Why are we investing in a station that is overblown for 2019 standards and should be only the headhouse at this point for a historical museum for Amtrak service when even the Larkinville proposal was better and financially cheaper?
 #1513275  by gokeefe
 
Because of the real potential for Transit Oriented Development directly in the building and urban redevelopment in the neighborhood. You can't build something on that scale now. Amtrak's presence with multiple daily frequencies would strongly support commercial and residential tenancy.
 #1513276  by Roadgeek Adam
 
I mean, there's no room for TOD in the BCT area.

Larkinville has incredible potential for TOD. It already is a booming area, less than a mile from the current Exchange Street.

There's no reason several of the buildings at BCT should still be standing. The concourse and the abandoned buildings should come down.

The headhouse and tower will make a wonderful museum.
 #1513294  by Backshophoss
 
There's no local bus or Light rail close to BCT at present,the overhead concourse is a lost cause-No future that way!
Only future is to go with the underground baggage concourse,pump out the water and check the concrete structure there!
CSX might relent on hooking up some of the platform tracks as long as there's no overhead height restriction to the Canadian interchange point
What remains of the overhead concourse could become the Amtrak Crew base for T&E crews. OBS crews, and Amtrak PD.
 #1513522  by Ridgefielder
 
gokeefe wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 5:23 pm I think it's notable that the municipal government felt the real issue worth fighting for here was the downtown station. I can empathize with their concern. Losing Exchange Street station while gaining something further out of town that could serve everything was not really a step forward. In some ways it would be a repeat of the original mistake made when BCT was built.
To be fair to the NY Central, it wasn't clear that the BCT location was a mistake when it was built starting in 1925. The population of Buffalo had almost doubled in the past 30 years-- from 255k in 1890 to 505k in 1920. There was no reason to think the city wouldn't keep growing, with downtown expanding the 2 miles east to the new location. There would have been plenty of institutional memory with the Central of Commodore Vanderbilt's construction of the Grand Central Depot miles north of the center of New York City. When planning started in the early 20's they were about as far removed in time from 1871 as we are from the Nixon administration.
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