Niagara Falls, NY (Amtrak's Empire Service & Maple Leaf)

The train station at Niagara Falls, NY is perhaps one of the strangest I know off. The station feels like you are being deposited almost in the center of a freight yard and their lots of Box Cars in the distance to convey this feeling. Terminating Empire Service trains back into the station on a stub end track. This track is directly next to a modern brick station building (that is closed for arrivals). There is a bit of a high-platform but only for the uses of the crew and has cleaning equipment and must also have food storage for restocking the cafe car somewhere as well. The station doesn't have a real platform. There is just a large blanket of tar that's extremely wide with little yellow stools present along the stub-end track as well as the track thirty feet across from it on the nearest through track through the train yard that I assume the Maple Leaf uses. The most striking feature was the line of taxis waiting for the arriving passengers directly on the large area of asphalt that is used as a platform. There isn't a public street that goes along it. The only access to the station complex is via a driveway from some local streets in front of a housing project with no sidewalk until you leave Amtrak property.

Note: This station was closed on December 6, 2016 with trains relocated to a new modern station in a much more suitable location near downtown Niagrara Falls.
All Photos Taken on 8 July, 2008

Passengers get off Empire Service Train #281 that has just backed into the Niagara Falls, NY station to terminate. There is a line of taxis waiting on the closest thing the station has to a platform (a wide strip of asphalt), there is another track that also 'platforms' it has lots of yellow step-stools along it.

A close up of passengers getting off the one open door on the Maple Leaf, with a line of taxis waiting for them on the platform, box cars in the large freight yard beyond.

Another view of the very wide platform with a line of taxis along it at Niagara Falls, NY.

Amfleet I Cafe-Club Car #48158, the last car of a terminating Empire Service #281 train that has just backed into Niagara Falls, NY. The brick station building (that also houses facilities for turning trains around such as cleaning supplies and food for restocking the cafe car).

An Amtrak employee (not in any sort of uniform) stepping on the very back door of Amfleet I #48158, the last car of Empire Service Train #281 that has just terminating at Niagara Falls, NY.

Another view of the last Amfleet car of an Empire Service train that has backed into Niagara Falls, NY. The wheelchair ramp into the now closed (there no more departures for the day) waiting area with ticketing is visible on the simple grey brick building.

Two benches and a car on the large paved area that is the closest thing Niagara Falls, NY has to a genuine station platform.

The large illuminated station sign at Niagara Falls, NY on the closest thing it has to a street side of it.

The main entrance to the waiting room and ticket office at Niagara Falls, NY. There is a simple modern logo sign above the entrance. All signs depicting the old Amtrak logo seem to have been replaced by now in New York State.

A small high level portion of what could be a part of a platform at Niagara Fals, NY. There is a canopy attached to the station house. It seems to be full of cleaning supplies and is not for passenger use.

The side of Genesis P32AC-DM #702 and the first car Amfleet of terminating Empire Service Train #702, viewed from the driveway that leads into the Niagara Falls, NY station.

Another view of P32AC-DM #702 with some box cars in the freight yard beyond the station at Niagara Falls, NY. It's lights are on, probably about to back into the train yard.

The only entrance to the Niagara Falls, NY station is a street/driveway with no sidewalk, and a stop sign before you enter the main track area with no fences anywhere. P32AC-DM #702 of Empire Service Train #281 terminating at the station is visible.

	Empire Service	Buffalo-Exchange St, NY
Niagara Falls, ON	Maple Leaf	Buffalo-Exchange St, NY