It appears that the long-awaited opening of the $43 million Niagara Falls train station on Depot Ave. West will take place on Tuesday, according to an email advisory from Amtrak sent out late Wednesday afternoon.
The email from Amtrak’s Craig Schulz said “the new station incorporates a waiting room, restrooms, the Amtrak ticket office and a US Customs and Border Protection inspection facility for processing of passengers on Train 64, the New York-bound Maple Leaf service from Toronto.”
Amtrak said customers holding reservations for travel on or after Dec. 6 are being proactively notified about the change in boarding location.
Through Monday (Dec. 5) all trains stop at the old station on Willard Ave. Beginning Tuesday, Trains 280 and 284 stop at the old station on Willard and after train 284 departs at 6:50 a.m., the old station closes and the station staff will relocate to the new station. Trains 64, 63, 281 and 283 stop at the new station. Beginning Wednesday, Dec. 7, all trains stop at the new station on Depot Ave. West.
The new station was ready for business several months ago but the city was not able to negotiate a lease with Amtrak until earlier this month. Only time will tell if the significant investment of taxpayer dollars in the new train station was worth it.
