The Buffalo Depew 

Station Improvements 

project completed 

necessary upgrades to 

meet the requirements 

of the Americans with 

Disabilities Act. New 

stations are also under 

construction in Niagara 

Falls and Rochester.

State of Good Repair

Capacity improvements, 

including a new second 

track between Albany 

and Schenectady, will 

reduce delays for trains 

serving the entire 

corridor.

On-Time Performance

New York – Albany (Empire, Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express)

Federal Railroad Administration

Length States Population

460 miles NY 24 million

The Empire Corridor from New York to Niagara 

Falls connects the Downstate metropolitan area 

with revitalizing cities across Upstate New York. 

With more than $240 million in federally-funded 

projects, track improvements throughout the 

heavily trafficked New York City – Albany section 

and station and track upgrades in Northern and 

Western New York will improve service reliability 

and passenger comfort. Work is also underway to 

improve connectivity to and from cities in Vermont.

Albany-Schenectady 

Second Main Track

$91 million (HSIPR)

Syracuse 

Congestion Relief

$19 million (HSIPR)

Niagara Falls Station

$17 million (TIGER)

Rochester Station: Design, 

Environmental, & Construction

$18 million (TIGER/HSIPR)

Hudson Line Signal

Wire Relocation

$8 million (HSIPR)

Livingston Ave. Bridge

Replacement Des./Env.

$2 million (HSIPR)

Buffalo-Depew Station

$1 million (HSIPR)

Niagara Falls Maintenance 

Facility Design/Environmental

$2 million (HSIPR)

Empire Corridor 

Capacity Improvements

$58 million (HSIPR)

Empire Corridor

South Grade Crossings

$2 million (HSIPR)

Corridor Characteristics

(New York – Niagara Falls)

Western Vermont FreightPassenger Rail Project

$10 million (TIGER)

Western Vermont Rail 

Rehabilitation Project

$9 million (TIGER)

Ballston Spa

Second Main Track

$3 million (HSIPR)
Corridor Projects

(FY09-Present, $M) Program Fiscal Year

Year 

Complete Completion Status Federal NonFederal Total

Empire Corridor Service Development Plan/ EIS HSIPR 2009 2017 Planning/Design Underway $1.0 $3.5 $4.5

Albany – Schenectady Second Main Track HSIPR 2009 2017 Construction Underway $91.2 $0 $91.2

Empire Corridor Capacity Improvements HSIPR 2009 2018 Construction Underway $58.1 $24.9 $83.0 

Syracuse Congestion Relief HSIPR 2010 2018 Planning/Design Underway $18.5 $4.6 $23.1

Niagara Falls Station TIGER 2010 2016 Construction Underway $16.5 $9.1 $25.6

Rochester Station Construction TIGER 2012 2017 Construction Underway $15.0 $8.0 $23.0

Western Vermont Freight-Passenger Rail Project TIGER 2015 TBD Not Underway $10.0 $16.5 $26.5

Western Corridor Rail Rehabilitation Project TIGER 2013 2016 Construction Underway $9.0 $2.2 $11.2

Hudson Line Signal Wire Relocation – Phase I HSIPR 2010 2017 Construction Underway $7.9 $2.0 $9.9

Ballston Spa Second Main Track HSIPR 2009 2013 Complete $3.3 $3.5 $6.8

Rochester Station Design/Environmental HSIPR 2009 2014 Complete $2.9 $.6 $3.5

Empire Corridor South Grade Crossing 

Improvements HSIPR 2009 2016 Construction Underway $2.5 $0 $2.5

Livingston Avenue Design/Environmental HSIPR 2010 2017 Planning/Design Underway $2.0 $2.0 $4.0

Niagara Falls Maintenance Facility Design/Env. HSIPR 2009 2016 Planning/Design Underway $1.8 $.8 $2.6

Buffalo-Depew Station HSIPR 2009 2012 Complete $0.8 $0 $0.8

Albany-Rensselaer Interlocking Improvements Other 2008 2014 Complete $1.3 $1.3 $2.6

NY-VT Bi-State Intercity Passenger Rail Project HSIPR 2009 2014 Complete $0.5 $0.5 $1.0

TOTAL $242.3 $79.5 $321.8

Federal Railroad Administration

New York – Albany (Empire, Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express)

Ridership On-Time Pct.

+30% ridership

+5% on-time

Since 2005

Ridership, FY05:

1.2 million

Ridership, FY15:

1.6 million

OTP, FY05:

60.6%

OTP, FY15:

65.5%

Corridor Performance

(New York-Niagara Falls)

Rochester station under construction in September 2016 (Photo: NYSDOT)

FY05 FY10 FY15 SOURCES : Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010. Ridership & On-Time Performance: Amtrak, 2016.

All Other Information: Federal Railroad Administration, 2016.

Totals may not add exactly due to rounding.