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New York seeks bids for new Schenectady station
Looks like the new station concept belongs in Phoenix, or Los Angeles, not in Schenectady. Ugly!
The current semi-Amshack is certainly long overdue to be replaced, and not much of an architectural gem, either. The new design looks like it came from the same type architects designing all the new “retro” baseball stadiums.
Sure, it could be better, but it could be a whole lot worse, too. And this is preliminary–who knows what the finished structure will look like. At least they are making an attempt!
The short-sightedness of the USA way of doing things here is glaringly illuminated. Go to Europe and see, even those terminals who were bombed by us and the brits into oblivion are either restored or rebuilt. Combine that with the, wisely adopted stance, of the big roads who continue to demolish wonderfully unique stations, and what are you left with, the pathetic retro, probably cement block (no real stonework or stonemasons who know how to carve it) billboard of a real piece of architecture. Even worse is the lack of truly interesting depot design. Sergio Calatrava does not cut it.
Glad to see the contract finally let after a decade of work by Schenectady and Capital District resident, business groups and political people. While I am old enough to have used the beautiful old station, I welcome the coming station. It will have faster elevators, no crumbling stairs and a larger waiting room with unbroken seating and better lighting. The only negative is the parking lot will still be too small. It is not a grand European style, but the new station will provide a better passenger experience than the current Amshack. I hope to take a train from the new station on its opening day.
The materials used will make all the difference. You can have buildings look great in the conception drawings end up looking lousy when finished because of the materials used for the exterior, and vice versa.
Mr. Rudmann: That this took so long to happen, indeed that the double-tracking ALB-SDY and the platform, track, and signal upgrades at Rensselaer took so long to happen is what’s telling.
And the double-tracking still doesn’t go far enough. It needed to go out to CP169 or at least allow a 2 mile controlled siding just east of CP169 to make operations as fluid as they should be. Not doing that still leaves a westbound vulnerable to being delayed at SDY waiting on a late eastbound that CSX, account its own traffic cannot afford to hold out on one of its mains and therefore needs to “force-feed” the eastbound to Amtrak in order to keep its railroad fluid.
Mr. Shapp, Why can’t we look at things in a more positive ’ light ’ ? You state: " took so long to happen is what’s telling ". OK, is lack of or delay in funding (MONEY) what’s telling ? What is being accomplished may not be the ’ total package ’ of what needs to be done, but it sure as h— is a HUGE step in the right (positive) direction !!!
In 1960, while in the US Army, we arrived (via DC-6 from McGuire AFB, NJ, with re-fueling stops in Gander, NL and Prestwick, Scotland) at Frankfurt-am-Main airport. Went directly to Gutleut Kassern for a week of in-processing. Around the corner were bierstubes (wunnerful) and the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. An amazing, to me, place! Passed thru it, a couple of times later and loved it. Back then, the US Army booked you on rail (First Class!) Later, I saw pictures of it just post-WWII. Unreal, how they rebuilt it. If Amtrak builds “The Bridge” to Europe, I’ll go back. I did discover, in my 33-years in the army, that one could opt for official travel by rail. I took a number of nice trips. That upset the travel-pay wonks. I do eschew the “death tubes”.
Mr. Hays,
Thank You for the most interesting story about your US Army rail adventures in Germany. My US Navy rail adventure was a trip on the Santa Fe’s ’ San Diegan ’ in the late 60’s up to LA and return. Quite an enjoyable and scenic trip !!
Thank You also, for your service to our country !!!
It’s OK. This is a system that is being gradually rebuilt and brought back from the oblivion of the Penn Central crash of the 60’s. Schenectady is different now. This seems to be reasonably in scale with the city in 2016.
This is a very positive development. As one who has embarked and disembarked at the current Schenectady station, almost anything would be an improvement. The former station was an impressive facility, but its replacement (the existing one) is like walking into a cave, and not inviting at all, or a fitting heritage facility to the city that had one of the country’s most formidable locomotive builders (ALCO). I hope the contract includes extending the station’s passenger platform to accommodate the longer Lake Shore Limited trains. As for the double track main between Albany and Schenectady, it can’t be finished soon enough; it’s been ‘on the schedule’ for years now.