Albany–Rensselaer station

Rensselaer, NY
Albany-Rensselaer station in April 2016
Location	525 East Street Rensselaer, New York
Coordinates	42°38′29″N 73°44′28″W / 42.64139°N 73.74111°W / 42.64139; -73.74111Coordinates: 42°38′29″N 73°44′28″W / 42.64139°N 73.74111°W / 42.64139; -73.74111
Owned by	Capital District Transportation Authority[1]
Operated by	Capital District Transportation Authority[1]
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Hudson Subdivision)
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	CDTA: 114, 214[1] Megabus: M27
Construction
Parking	512 spaces[1]
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	ALB
History
Opened	September 22, 2002[1]
Electrified	No
Traffic
Passengers (2017)	803,348[2]  6%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Schenectady toward Montreal Adirondack Hudson toward New York Schenectady toward Niagara Falls, NY Empire Service Schenectady toward Rutland Ethan Allen Express Schenectady toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, ON Maple Leaf Schenectady toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Rhinecliff–Kingston toward New York Pittsfield toward Boston South
Former services Preceding station   Conrail   Following station Albany Terminus Hudson Line Until 1981 Castleton toward New York City Amtrak Colonie-Schenectady toward Chicago Lake Shore 1971–1972 Poughkeepsie toward New York Grand Central

Rensselaer Rail Station is a train station in Rensselaer, New York, located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from downtown Albany across the Hudson River.^[1] As of 2010 it was Amtrak's ninth-busiest station, as well as the busiest to serve a metro area with a population smaller than 2 million.^[3] This is primarily due to the large number of passengers who commute to and from New York City.

It is served by Amtrak's Empire Corridor routes, including the Lake Shore Limited, whose Boston and New York branches diverge at the station.

In order to distinguish this station from the Rensselaer station in Indiana, it is branded for Amtrak services as Albany–Rensselaer.

History

A Penn Central Empire Service train arriving at Albany-Rensselaer in 1970

Interior of the current station.

Operated by the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), the current structure was completed in September 2002 and opened on September 22.^[4] It features a Coffee Beanery coffeeshop, a newsstand, and a post office. It was designed by the Schenectady architecture firm Stracher–Roth Gilmore and the New York firm Vollmer Associates, with Ryan-Biggs of Troy providing structural engineering, Sage/Engineering Associates providing MEP engineering services, Erdman Anthony of Troy providing facilities engineering, and constructed by U. W. Marx/Bovis joint venture.^[5]

The intermodal station replaced two previous terminal buildings, one built in 1968 and the other in 1980.^[3] The 1968 building was torn down in order to expand the station's parking facility. Before 1968, trains stopped at Union Station in Albany. That building, located on Broadway, now houses the northeast headquarters of Bank of America (via predecessors Fleet Bank and Norstar Bank). The New York Central Railroad had plans to leave Albany, in part because Interstate 787 needed the space occupied by a rail yard, but the move took place under Penn Central's watch.

The current station was built with three tracks (a fourth was planned, but eliminated due to cost) leaving the station with fewer than preferable tracks.^[4] In October 2008, it was announced that a fourth track would be built after the two previous terminal buildings were demolished; a contract for that work was assigned at the same time.^[4] Design work was proceeding on the fourth track as of February 2010, but actual construction was placed on hold pending resolution of funding issues and demolition of the two terminal buildings to the north.^[4] On October 27, 2010, demolition of the two other buildings began.^[3] In a December 4, 2012 press release, Amtrak indicated that installation of the fourth track would begin in 2013,^[6] and the project was completed in March 2016.^[7]

Station layout

The station's two high-level island platforms are connected to the main building by an aerial walkway. Each 605-foot (184 m) platform can accommodate up to 7 Amfleet cars, not including an engine.

Platform at Albany-Rensselaer station. Platform 1 of 2

G	Street level	Exit/entrance, platform crossover, station building, parking, buses
P
	Track 4	← Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf toward New York City (Hudson) ← Lake Shore Limited toward New York City (Rhinecliff-Kingston)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Track 2	← Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf toward New York City (Hudson) ← Lake Shore Limited toward New York City (Rhinecliff-Kingston)
	Track 1	Adirondack toward Montreal (Schenectady)→ Empire Service toward Niagara Falls (Schenectady)→ Ethan Allen Express toward Rutland (Schenectady)→ Maple Leaf toward Toronto (Schenectady)→ Lake Shore Limited toward Chicago (Schenectady) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Track 3	Adirondack toward Montreal (Schenectady)→ Empire Service toward Niagara Falls (Schenectady)→ Ethan Allen Express toward Rutland (Schenectady)→ Maple Leaf toward Toronto (Schenectady)→ Lake Shore Limited toward Chicago (Schenectady)→ ← Lake Shore Limited toward Boston (Pittsfield)

Transportation services

Amtrak

Two Amtrak trains at Albany-Rensselaer Station

With the exception of the Boston branch of the Lake Shore Limited, all trains have southbound service to Penn Station in New York City.

• Adirondack to Montreal
• Empire Service: all trains to New York (via Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, Yonkers); some westbound to Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
• Ethan Allen Express to Rutland, Vermont
• Lake Shore Limited to Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, and Chicago
  • New York Branch (Train 48/49): Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, New York (Penn Station)
  • Boston Branch (Train 448/449): Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham, Boston (Back Bay), Boston (South Station)
• Maple Leaf to Toronto

Bus

Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station – MegaBus Stop

The intercity Megabus operates regular service to New York City and Ridgewood, N.J. Temporary Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach services due to track service work also serve the station from its bus bays.

Two bus routes operated by the Capital District Transportation Authority, the local public transportation agency, serve the station:

• 114-Madison/Washington: Every 30 minutes during the day, and every hour on nights and weekends.
• 214-Rensselaer/Third Street-Amtrak: Every 30 minutes during rush hours, every 40 minutes during the day and about every hour on nights and weekends.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Albany–Rensselaer station.

• Amtrak – Stations – Albany-Rensselaer Station
• CDTA station page for Rensselaer
• Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – Train Web)
• Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Station (The SubwayNut)
• Albany-Rensselaer on Great American Stations