Schenectady station

File:Old Schenectady Station Post Card 01.jpg

The current station is the third to be built on the site. The original Schenectady Union Station was constructed in 1908 by the New York Central Railroad and the Hudson River Railroad after the railroad grade was raised throughout the city and was in service until it was closed in 1969 by Penn Central due to low ridership and the cost of heating and maintaining the large station. It was replaced with Colonie-Schenectady near NY-155 several miles to the east in Colonie.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wPkwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M-AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2874%2C2569924 |title=Amtrak Station at Colonie will close Sept. 9 |newspaper=Schenectady Gazette |date=10 August 1979 |first=Stephen |last=Goldstein |via=Google News}} The Colonie-Schenectady station was a small building with a parking lot. Penn Central then sold the union station building to the city in December 1970 for $20,000. For a brief time there was talk of the station being renovated into an opera house for the Schenectady Light Opera Company but nothing came of the proposal.{{Cite web|url=http://hoxsie.org/2016/08/03/not-a-good-time-to-be-named-union-station/|title=Not A Good Time To Be Named "Union Station" – Hoxsie!|website=hoxsie.org|date=3 August 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-02}} After its closure, the Union Station was sold by Penn Central to the city of Schenectady in 1970 for $20,000. The Union Station was demolished by the city in 1971 to make way for a parking lot.

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File:Schenectady Station Exterior 01.jpg

After the takeover of passenger trains by Amtrak, talks began about moving the Schenectady stop from Colonie back to its original location.

In 1978, train service returned to Schenectady and work began on a new station. In 1979, the new Schenectady station was completed on the site of the former Union Station.{{cite web|url=http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/SDY|title=Schenectady, NY (SDY)|publisher=Great American Stations (Amtrak)|accessdate=16 October 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/schenectady.htm|title=SCHENECTADY NEW YORK (SDY)|publisher=TrainWeb|accessdate=16 October 2010}} It was of a standard design.{{cite web |title=New Schenectady Station Added to Amtrak's Great Stations List |url=http://www.schenectadymetroplex.com/news/new-schenectady-station-added-to-amtraks-great-stations-list/ |publisher=Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority |accessdate=28 July 2019 |date=9 November 2018}} It was built under the railroad tracks with an elevator and staircase leading to a railway platform between the two tracks and was made possible through a partnership among Amtrak, the State of New York and the City of Schenectady. The state funded the rehabilitation of the tracks at $3.9 million, while Amtrak paid two-thirds of the $881,000 cost of the depot with the state covering the rest. The city donated the land.{{cite web|url=http://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-november-1978|title=Empire Service Trains Now Stop At Schenectady (Amtrak News)|publisher=Amtrak History & Archives|date=November 1978|accessdate=29 October 2014}} Passengers were able to board at the new station beginning in October 1978, though no customer service agents were present until July 29, 1979, and the station did not fully open until August 8. The new station decimated ridership at Colonie-Schenectady, which was closed on September 9, 1979 to allow trains to operate at full speed between Albany and Schenectady.{{cite journal |url=http://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-september-1979 |title=New Schenectady Station Opens, State, City, Amtrak Cooperate On Project |journal=Amtrak News |date=September 1979 |publisher=Amtrak |volume=6 |issue=10 |page=10}} By the early 2000s the station was showing its age and plans were made to demolish it and replace it with a new station. The 1979 station was closed and demolished in 2017 in preparation for construction of the current station.

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File:Schenectady Station -- New Station Oct 2018 05.jpg

The replacement structure is known as the Schenectady Intermodal Station was constructed on the site of the former station. It serves both Amtrak and local transit service.{{cite web|url=http://www.greatamericanstations.com/station-news/schenectady-intermodal-station-project-funded|title=Schenectady Intermodal Station Project Funded|publisher=Great American Stations (Amtrak)|accessdate=16 October 2010}} The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) received a US $4.2 million grant for the construction of the planned structure in October 2010.

By 2014, funding from federal and state sources for the new station had reached $15 million and the CDTA had largely completed design work for a four-story station building, though by 2015 it had been scaled down to two stories.{{cite web | url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2014/01/construction-of-new-schenectady-amtrak-station-set-for-2015 | title=Construction of new Schenectady Amtrak station set for 2015 |publisher=Trains Magazine |date=21 January 2014 |accessdate=15 August 2015}} Track construction was planned to begin in the spring of 2014, but was delayed until fall, with station construction to go out to bid in 2014 for completion in 2017. In August 2015, the Metroplex Development Authority sold Amtrak {{convert|2400|sqft}} of parking lot that was intended to allow for construction of a temporary station to begin immediately, followed by the demolition of the 1979 building and construction of the replacement station.{{cite web | url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/08/land-sale-approved-for-new-schenectady-station | title=Land sale approved for new Schenectady station | publisher=Trains Magazine | date=10 August 2015 | accessdate=15 August 2015}}

In late March 2016, NYSDOT announced it would seek a second round of bids for building the new station, after the only bid from the first round was $24.9 million, far more than the budgeted $14.6 million. The decision delayed the estimated opening of the new facility to 2018.{{cite web | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2016/03/30/state-wants-new-bids-for-schenectady-train-station.html | title=State wants new bids for Schenectady train station | publisher=Albany Business Review | date=March 30, 2016 | accessdate=March 31, 2016}} NYSDOT then paid a contractor $900,000 to redesign the station to reduce costs. In July 2016, NYSDOT announced that it would divide the project into two contracts for rebidding.{{cite news |url=http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/12233755/schenectady-train-station-project-split-in-two |title=NY: Schenectady Train Station Project Split in Two |newspaper=McClatchy News Service |first=Stephen |last=Williams |via=Mass Transit Magazine |date=19 July 2016 |accessdate=20 July 2016}} Demolition of the existing station, along with repairs to the viaduct, was bid in February 2017. Three bids were received, with the low bid within budget at $5.4 million.{{cite news |url=https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/03/30/schenectady-train-station-demolition-draws-three-bids |title=Schenectady train station demolition draws 3 bids |newspaper=Daily Gazette |date=March 30, 2017 |first=Stephen |last=Williams |accessdate=April 1, 2017}}

File:Schenectady Station -- New Station Oct 2018 02.jpg

The 1979 station was closed and demolished in July 2017. In the interim, a temporary stairwell and platform with a shelter were erected at a parking lot north of the station site to serve as a temporary station.{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Schenectady-Amtrak-station-permanently-closed-11256442.php|title=Schenectady Amtrak station closed; awaiting replacement|last=Anderson|first=Eric|date=June 30, 2017|work=Albany (N.Y.) Times Union|access-date=March 4, 2018|publisher=Hearst Corporation}} Construction of the replacement station had been bid in Fall 2017 for completion at the end of 2018.{{cite news |url=http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-business/article/Schenectady-Amtrak-station-projects-seek-bids-8379552.php |title=Schenectady Amtrak station projects seek bids |newspaper=Albany Times-Union |first=Eric |last=Anderson |date=15 July 2016 |accessdate=20 July 2016}} The station has two floors with a golden dome topped with a weather vane shaped like New York state and large arched windows and expanded seating. The inside features images of the Erie Canal and the former American Locomotive Company train yard and include other memorabilia to illustrate the city's history. The facility also includes retail space, charging stations and digital display boards to provide information. It is accessible compliant.{{Cite news|url=https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/07/11/cuomo-slated-to-make-announcement-at-proctors|title=Cuomo unveils new Schenectady train station design|last=Samuels|first=Bret|date=July 11, 2017|work=Daily Gazette|access-date=March 4, 2018|publisher=Gazette Newspapers|location=Schenectady, N.Y.}} The station was expected to open in November 2018 but opened two weeks ahead of schedule on October 17, 2018.{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Beam |newspaper=Daily Gazette |title=Dome placed atop Schenectady's new Amtrak station |date=September 13, 2018 |url=https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/09/13/dome-placed-atop-schenectady-s-new-amtrak-station}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-grand-opening-schenectady-train-station|title=Governor Cuomo Announces Grand Opening of Schenectady Train Station|date=2018-10-17|work=Governor Andrew M. Cuomo|access-date=2018-11-02|language=en|archive-date=2018-11-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103091850/https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-grand-opening-schenectady-train-station|url-status=dead}}

The construction of the new Schenectady station was part of upgrades being made to the Empire Corridor and was built shortly after new stations were completed in Niagara Falls and Rochester.

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In March 2020, Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express service at the station was suspended indefinitely, with trains being truncated to Albany–Rensselaer station as part of a round of service reductions in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.{{cite press release |date=2020-03-24 |title=Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus|url=https://www.amtrak.com/alert/nec-modified-schedule.html |url-status=live |publisher=Amtrak |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325190328/https://www.amtrak.com/alert/nec-modified-schedule.html |archive-date=2020-03-25 |access-date=2020-03-25}} Ethan Allen service resumed on July 19, 2021, and full restoration of Adirondack service to Montreal resumed on April 4, 2023.{{cite web | url=https://www.amtrak.com/adirondack-train | title=Adirondack Train | Amtrak }}{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-vermont-amtrak-500a655ce3ce219ce44d20b8357084c6 | title=Vermont marking return of Amtrak service after COVID | website=Associated Press | date=19 July 2021 }}{{Cite web |last=Weaver |first=Shaye |date=2023-03-23 |title=This gorgeous train through the Adirondacks officially returns on April 4! |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/this-scenic-train-through-the-adirondacks-officially-returns-on-april-4-032323 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=Time Out New York |language=en-US}}

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.

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Category:Amtrak stations in New York (state)

Category:Former New York Central Railroad stations

Category:Buildings and structures in Schenectady, New York

Category:Transportation in Schenectady County, New York

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1909

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1979

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 2018