 Buffalo-Depew, NY | Empire Service | Syracuse, NY  |
| Maple Leaf | ||
| Lake Shore Limited |
The modern Rochester Intermodal Station opened on October 6, 2017. The modern $29.5 million station was dedicated to long-term congresswomen Louise Slaughter after she died in March 2018. The current station is designed to incorporate Intercity Buses as part of a Phase II expansion. Intercity buses are still using a modular temporary station across Central Avenue from the train station.
The current station consists of a large modern single-story brick building, designed to emulate the historic New York Central Station (torn down in the 1960s). This building abuts a parking lot, with a wide drop-off loop and multiple entrances from Central Avenue. Inside the building is a large waiting room with granite walls and a cream tiled roof. Like stations on the Second Avenue Subway, the station has Governor Cuomo New York State Touches with "E Pluribus Unum/Out of Many One", the New York State Seal, and "Excelsior/Ever Upward" written in the middle of the three rounded window frames that lead out towards the train tacks. There are also pictures of the Figure Lakes region from I love NY, above other walls. On the west side of the waiting room is the combined ticket office baggage check, and separate, small baggage claim roll-up window at counter height . There are provisions for two concessions, one of which has a Taste NY banner above it, but as of November 2017 vending machines are the only food options, with no progress made on the concession spaces (Rochester is not currently listed as a Taste NY store location). Restrooms are down a corridor at the east end of the station.
To reach trains there is a single escalator/staircase about 10 feet in front of the main doors into the station, that splits the waiting room into two. There is also an elevator along the wall closest to the tracks. These entrances are sanctioned off with a large sign saying ticked passengers only beyond this point which is moved in front of the stairs/escalator when no train is scheduled. This leads down to an underpass under two of the four tracks and up to an escalator/staircase and elevator up to the station's modern island platform. The staircase and elevator arrive in small glassed in portals.
The station's modern high-level island platform is located in the middle of what is now a four track CSX main line, with mainline freight tracks on each side of the island platform for freight trains to get through. This means passenger trains can simply switch into the station and do not need to cross freight trains in the opposite direction. The platform runs from the railroad bridges over Joseph Avenue, and continues west across Clinton Avenue. The platform has a grey modern canopy structure that covers most of its length, and modern silver Rochester, NY signs on silver posts. There are also some modern backless benches.
Baggage has it's own interesting route to the new platform, at the eastern end of the platform a long ramp (enclosed with glass walls) leads down to a baggage tunnel. This tunnel connects to a ramp up to the former (and now nearly fully fenced off) area where the original Rochester platform once was. This wide non-public area is fully covered by a similar modern canopy structure as the station platform. At the western end of this former platform the original, decaying iron canopy structure from the original station has been preserved continuing west across Joseph Avenue. There is a shed on this platform with a roll-up door that looks like a wheelchair lift enclosure.
Previously Amtrak trains stopped at the Rochester modular AmStation which was on the same site as the current station and was open between 1978 and 2015. This station had a single low-level side platform so all trains had to switch onto the southern track. Passengers boarded under a historic canopy from the original 1918 New York Central Station (which included an original sign).
During the construction of the modern station (from November 2015 to November 2017) trains stopped just east of the current station at a very short 2 car long low-level platform (that did have a tactile warning strip), with a small wooden canopy covering part of the platform. There was also a modern brown wheelchair lift enclosure to keep the station ADA accessible. The Lake Shore Limited in particular faced delays in Rochester during construction since needed to be spotted at least 3 times, for baggage, the sleepers, and finally the coaches.
Leaving the platform passengers walked through some construction fencing to a small modular building that resembles a trailer with access a few steps up via ramps and staircases since the station is temporary, inside is a small waiting area and ticket office, there is also a small baggage area letting Rochester continue to be a full service station as station reconstruction continues. This leads to a small parking lot that is overflowing with cars (at least on July 4 weekend).
Photos 1-20 taken on 2 July, 2016; 21-55 on 25 November, 2017
