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Yesterday, Amtrak and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) executives joined federal and local officials to announce an agreement that calls for the state to manage the Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center project and for Amtrak to assume a lead role in the operation of the new $23 million facility.

Amtrak will to continue to own and operate the intermodal center, which will be built at the site of an existing Amtrak station at 320 Central Avenue in Rochester.

Now that the facility's ownership has been determined, final design and construction will be led by NYSDOT, state officials said in a prepared statement. The state will pursue a design/build procurement to advance the project, said NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald.

NYSDOT, Amtrak and Rochester city officials, and U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) will form a steering committee to oversee the work.

Designed to complement the architecture of nearby buildings, the facility will replace a 35-year-old, "temporary" station that lacks certain modern amenities, state officials said. The project also includes track improvements and a new high-level platform to improve accessibility for people with disabilities and help reduce train delays.

"The grand new facility will serve as a gateway for our Empire Corridor passengers, and enhances our ability to provide improved reliability and accessibility across the state," said Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman.

NYSDOT and the Federal Railroad Administration provided $3.5 million in funding for the project's preliminary engineering and environmental phase. The intermodal center will be funded by a $15 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, as well as $7.5 million from the state and $500,000 from the city.

For more information on the Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center, follow this link to read a web exclusive article that was posted on ProgressiveRailroading.com in mid-October.