New Amtrak station underway in Rochester

Construction has begun on the new $29.8 million intermodal station in Rochester, N.Y., New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) announced this week.

Under an agreement reached in 2012, Amtrak will continue to own, operate and maintain the station on the site of its existing station in Rochester. Amtrak also will contribute to the new passenger information display system, state officials said in a press release.

In summer, CSX Transportation completed preliminary site work for the station construction. The work included relocating live signal wires to make room for the new platform, concourse and additional tracks. Later this year, CSX also will remove signal poles that are no longer are in use.

The new station is being designed and built under a best-value contract with a team led by the Pike Co. Inc., a design-build firm based in Rochester.

Funding for the project includes a $15 million grant through the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Program, which was secured by Slaughter. The New York State Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration provided $3.5 million for preliminary engineering, while the city of Rochester contributed $500,000 toward final design and construction. New York State rail funds will cover the remainder of project costs.