Okay, I'll make the first reply........
More than anything I would love to see the terminal put back in service. It annoys me to no end how many buildings have been bulldozed for whatever excuse they come up with. BUT, the location is lousy. The terminal is located between to points, the suburbs and the city. I've been to both Utica and Kansas City. The difference between those two and Buffalo is simply stated in one word. Location! Utica and Kansas City are both located IN the city.
I had gone to the train show in Utica. I took Amtrak. The very reason I took the train is because the station was right there in the city. After the train show, I walked to the hotel and later walked around the city. If the set up was like Buffalo, I likely would not have gone. I wonder what would happen if I got off the train at the terminal and walked around awhile. Hmmmmmm.
The Kansas City terminal has the WWI museum immediately across the street. An old freight house converted to several restaurants are on the opposite side of the track but within an easy walk. I ate there. Tremendous view of train movements. There is nothing like that here at the terminal. And no guarantee that there will be just because Amtrak brings in 7 or 8 trains a day and maybe 30 passengers get on or off. I'll bet most passengers are thru passengers going to or coming from NYC.
You stated above about Amtrak having to reverse out of a station downtown. You say that Amtrak will never go for it. But isn't that what they did for every train in Niagara Falls? Its annoying I agree but they did it all the time regardless of the direction they were going. Amtrak will have to consider whether the reverse maneuver will cost them more or less as compared to how many passengers will likely ride into death valley vs a city that is finally starting wake up.
Amtrak isn't going to send a train someplace because preservationist want to save a building. They are going to send a train where the passengers want to go or where Amtrak thinks they will go. Going downtown will provide descent connections with Metrorail. This would allow UB South students the option to take Metrorail and connect onto Amtrak instead of getting a ride to Amtrak Depew. Plus, and for the same reason I took Amtrak to Utica, it will drop me off where everything is "happening."
Amtrak pulled out of the terminal for a reason. What has changed since then that would make them want to come back?
Please don't chew me to pieces. I really do want to save the terminal. But my white collar mentality says that downtown is best for the arriving and departing passenger and that means money.
More than anything I would love to see the terminal put back in service. It annoys me to no end how many buildings have been bulldozed for whatever excuse they come up with. BUT, the location is lousy. The terminal is located between to points, the suburbs and the city. I've been to both Utica and Kansas City. The difference between those two and Buffalo is simply stated in one word. Location! Utica and Kansas City are both located IN the city.
I had gone to the train show in Utica. I took Amtrak. The very reason I took the train is because the station was right there in the city. After the train show, I walked to the hotel and later walked around the city. If the set up was like Buffalo, I likely would not have gone. I wonder what would happen if I got off the train at the terminal and walked around awhile. Hmmmmmm.
The Kansas City terminal has the WWI museum immediately across the street. An old freight house converted to several restaurants are on the opposite side of the track but within an easy walk. I ate there. Tremendous view of train movements. There is nothing like that here at the terminal. And no guarantee that there will be just because Amtrak brings in 7 or 8 trains a day and maybe 30 passengers get on or off. I'll bet most passengers are thru passengers going to or coming from NYC.
You stated above about Amtrak having to reverse out of a station downtown. You say that Amtrak will never go for it. But isn't that what they did for every train in Niagara Falls? Its annoying I agree but they did it all the time regardless of the direction they were going. Amtrak will have to consider whether the reverse maneuver will cost them more or less as compared to how many passengers will likely ride into death valley vs a city that is finally starting wake up.
Amtrak isn't going to send a train someplace because preservationist want to save a building. They are going to send a train where the passengers want to go or where Amtrak thinks they will go. Going downtown will provide descent connections with Metrorail. This would allow UB South students the option to take Metrorail and connect onto Amtrak instead of getting a ride to Amtrak Depew. Plus, and for the same reason I took Amtrak to Utica, it will drop me off where everything is "happening."
Amtrak pulled out of the terminal for a reason. What has changed since then that would make them want to come back?
Please don't chew me to pieces. I really do want to save the terminal. But my white collar mentality says that downtown is best for the arriving and departing passenger and that means money.
Last edited by SST on Sun Mar 26, 2017 8:09 am, edited 1 time in total.