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New York Gov. David Paterson recently announced the state awarded a discretionary grant to the New York State Department of Transportation for a high speed rail-related facility in Niagara Falls.

The facility will enable Amtrak to better maintain, clean and inspect its equipment that operates along the Empire Corridor. As part of the project, New York DOT and Amtrak officials will evaluate options for a facility close to the Niagara Falls station to store and maintain trains that remain stationed overnight in the city, as well as examine high-tech equipment to monitor and inspect trains, according to a press release.

“With these grant funds, western New York will be positioned as a centralized hub for commerce and transportation,” Paterson said in a prepared statement.

The funds build on a recently announced Federal Railroad Administration grant being awarded to the New York State DOT as part of the High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funds included in the FY2010 transportation appropriations bill. The state is set to receive $28.5 million for three projects, including $18.5 million to complete final design and construction on improvements along the Empire Corridor.

Meanwhile, Paterson also announced the state has created a high-speed rail planning board that “will be a major asset for New York as we progress with our high-speed rail infrastructure,” he said.