Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Transportation Center

For other stations with similar names, see Niagara Falls station (disambiguation).
Niagara Falls International Railway Station

The new station under construction in August 2015
Location 2245 Whirlpool St., Niagara Falls, New York
United States
Coordinates 43°06′35″N 79°03′19″W / 43.10972°N 79.05528°W / 43.10972; -79.05528Coordinates: 43°06′35″N 79°03′19″W / 43.10972°N 79.05528°W / 43.10972; -79.05528
Owned by City of Niagara Falls
Line(s) Niagara Subdivision
Empire Corridor
Platforms 1
Tracks 2
Construction
Disabled access Yes
History
Opening Projected June, 2016
Services
  Planned  
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station
TerminusEmpire Service
planned 2016
toward Toronto
Maple Leaf
planned 2016
U.S. Customhouse

U.S. Customhouse, June 2009. Note the railroad bridge on the right, then partially obscured by trees.
Location 2245 Whirlpool St., Niagara Falls, New York
Area less than one acre
Built 1863
NRHP Reference # 73001227[1]
Added to NRHP July 16, 1973
Location
Niagara Falls International Railway Station
Location within New York

The Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Transportation Center is an intermodal transit station under construction in Niagara Falls, New York. It consists of a complex built around the historic U.S. Customhouse, originally built to service the U.S. side of the Niagara River border crossings from Canada. When complete, the facility will replace Amtrak's Niagara Falls station for passenger rail service, and will also include U.S. Customs, bus service, and a museum.

Customhouse history

WHIRLPOOL STREET (WEST) ELEVATION, VIEW TAKEN FROM SOUTHWEST

The customhouse was built in 1863 and served inspectors for the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, Niagara Cantilever Bridge, Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, and Michigan Central Railway Bridge at various points in its history. With Niagara Falls receiving the second highest amounts of American imports at one point, the customhouse was once a very busy post for its inspectors. Remaining in a US Customs capacity until the 1960s, it was sold to several different commercial owners before it was originally abandoned in 1998.[2]

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, the building is now owned by the city of Niagara Falls who purchased it in 2003. State and local governments are in the process of building a new multi-million dollar train station and intermodal transportation center called the Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Transportation Center utilizing the original Custom House as part of the station as a facility for U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be based out of, on the second floor along with modern additions. The first floor will contain a museum for the Underground Railroad called the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad interpretive Center in honor of the former original bridge close by that took slaves from the United States into Canada in the 19th Century.

Amtrak station

After 30 years of effort to move Amtrak's Niagara Falls station to the Customhouse location, the building has become part of the Niagara Falls International Railway Station in a three-phase rebuilding project estimated to cost $44 million.[3] Construction on the project began in August 2010 and in October 2010, the US Department of Transportation released $16.5 million in funds from the TIGER program for work on the final phase of the International Station project.[4] Once completed, the new station will replace the current Niagara Falls Amtrak station and will also house U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities.

A construction contract was agreed upon between the City of Niagara Falls and a local construction firm in April 2014 after delay over price overruns. Work was to begin in May, 2014.[5] City officials have previously said the construction will take 18 months to two years to complete. The project is being competed in three phases including the stabilization of the existing building and upgrades to the nearby bridge. The structure of the new station itself has been constructed.

Like the customhouse, the train station has two floors, with the main concourse on the first and passengers boarding the trains on the second. Shops will also be included in the train station section of the complex.

It is hoped that the new station and its closer location to the city proper will help spur public and private sector growth in the city.[6]

Future service

The station will be served by six trains daily:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-03-01. Note: This includes Cornelia E. Brooke (May 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: U.S. Customhouse" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-03-01. and Accompanying three photographs
  3. ↑ "Niagara Falls gets $16.5M grant for Amtrak station". WCAX.com. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "USDOT doles out TIGER II grants for 75 transportation projects". Progressive Railroading. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  5. ↑ http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/niagara-falls/falls-train-station-is-back-on-track-20140419
  6. ↑ http://www.wkbw.com/news/structure-up-in-new-niagara-falls-amtrak-station

External links

Media related to Niagara Falls International Railway Station at Wikimedia Commons

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