Niagara Falls station (New York) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Niagara Falls, NY
The new station in July 2017
Other names	Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center
Location	825 Depot Avenue West Niagara Falls, New York United States
Coordinates	43°06′35″N 79°03′19″W / 43.10972°N 79.05528°W / 43.10972; -79.05528
Owned by	City of Niagara Falls
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Niagara Subdivision)
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Train operators	Amtrak / VIA Rail
Connections	NFTA: 52 North End Circulator Discover Niagara Shuttle: Falls to the Fort
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: NFL CBP Code: NIA
History
Opened	December 6, 2016
Traffic
Passengers (FY2019)	34,965 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Terminus Empire Service Buffalo–Exchange Street toward New York Niagara Falls, Ontario toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, Ontario Maple Leaf
Former services at Suspension Bridge station Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Niagara Falls, Ontario (MC) toward Chicago Michigan Central Railroad Main Line Niagara Falls, New York toward Buffalo Niagara Falls, New York Terminus Falls Road Sanborn toward Rochester Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station Niagara Falls, Ontario toward Toronto Niagara Falls– Toronto Local stops Terminus Preceding station Lehigh Valley Railroad Following station Terminus Niagara Falls Branch Niagara Falls, New York toward Depew
U.S. Customhouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Customhouse in May 2018 after construction of the railroad station.
Location	2245 Whirlpool Street, Niagara Falls, New York
Area	less than one acre
Built	1863
NRHP reference No.	73001227
Added to NRHP	July 16, 1973

The Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center is a special building in Niagara Falls, New York. It's a place where different types of transportation meet. You can catch Amtrak trains and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority buses here. It also has offices for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which helps people crossing the Canada–United States border. Plus, it's home to the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center.

This station is the very last stop on the western side of Amtrak's Empire Corridor train line. Two Empire Service trains arrive and depart each day. One Maple Leaf train also comes and goes daily. You can also connect to local buses and the Discover Niagara Shuttle from here.

The whole building complex was built around the old U.S. Customhouse. This historic building was first used to check goods and people crossing the border from Canada into the U.S. The new station was finished in July 2016. It started serving train passengers on December 6, 2016, replacing the old station.

From March 2020 to June 2022, the Maple Leaf train service to Canada was stopped. This was because of the coronavirus pandemic and border closures. During that time, this station was the final stop for the train.

U.S. Customhouse: A Historic Building

Whirlpool Street (West) Elevation, View Taken From Southwest

In 1863, the main customs office for the Niagara area moved to the Niagara Suspension Bridge. This was done to handle all the goods being traded across the border. The customhouse helped inspectors at several bridges over the years. At one point, Niagara Falls received the second-highest amount of imports into America. This made the customhouse a very busy place.

In 1911, a fire partly destroyed the building, but it was rebuilt. It continued to be a U.S. Customs office until the 1960s. After that, it was sold to different businesses and was left empty in 1998.

The Customhouse Today

The U.S. Customhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The city of Niagara Falls bought it in 2003. State and local governments decided to include the customhouse in plans for a new train station. This new station would also be a transportation center.

The customhouse was restored over five years and became part of the new station. Today, the second floor of the customhouse is used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They check passengers arriving from Canada on the Maple Leaf train.

The first floor has a museum about the Underground Railroad. It's called the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. This museum honors the old bridge nearby where enslaved people crossed into Canada in the 1800s.

The Underground Railroad Museum

The museum opened in May 2018. It has exhibits like "One More River to Cross." This exhibit tells the story of the Underground Railroad in Niagara Falls. It explains how the area's location helped people escape. It also highlights the actions of local residents, especially African-Americans.

Other exhibits show a recreation of the Cataract House. This was a Niagara Falls hotel where all the wait staff were African-American. Many of them helped former enslaved people find freedom in Canada. There's also a recreation of the International Suspension Bridge. This bridge was built in 1848 and rebuilt in 1855 for trains. Famous people like Harriet Tubman and other former enslaved people crossed this bridge into Canada. The National Park Service supports the museum as part of the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area.

The Modern Train Station

Station under construction in 2015

It took 30 years of hard work to move the Amtrak station to the Customhouse location. The Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center cost about $44 million to build. Construction started in August 2010. In October 2010, the US Department of Transportation gave $16.5 million for the final part of the project.

A building contract was signed in April 2014, after some delays. Work began in May 2014. City officials thought it would take 18 months to two years to finish. The project had three parts. These included fixing the old customhouse and improving a nearby bridge. The station was completed in July 2016. A special event called "Niagara Falls Amtrak Community Day" was held on July 30, 2016, for people to get a sneak peek.

After a delay in signing a deal, a 20-year lease was agreed upon on November 9, 2016. Amtrak moved into the new station on December 6, after the last train left the old Willard Avenue station that morning.

People hope the new station will help the city's downtown area grow. Its location is closer to the city center. This station was the first of four stations to be replaced along New York's Empire Corridor. Between 2016 and 2020, new stations were also built in Rochester, Schenectady, and Buffalo–Exchange Street.

Future Plans for the Station

Officials in Niagara Falls are interested in having GO Transit trains from Canada come to this station. The station is designed to allow Canadian border staff to check passengers before they enter the U.S. This is called preclearance.

However, Metrolinx, which runs GO Transit, says there are special rules for trains leaving Canada to enter the U.S. These rules make it hard for GO Transit to stop at this station. GO Transit currently stops at the Niagara Falls, Ontario station in Canada.

Station Layout: How It's Organized

Platform at the Niagara Falls station

Like the customhouse, the train station has two floors. The first floor is at ground level. It has the main waiting area and an entrance to the museum in the customhouse. There are also spaces for shops that can be reached from outside.

The second floor has the ticket counter, a waiting room, and where you board the trains. You can reach it by stairs or elevator. The grassy area in front of the customhouse can be used for shows or educational talks. Trains arrive at a single side platform that is on a raised area.

Border Checks for the Maple Leaf Train

There are no special areas at this station or on the Canadian side to check passengers before they cross the border. For passengers coming from Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers check them inside the station. For passengers going to Canada, Canada Border Services Agency officers check them on the train. This happens at the Niagara Falls railway station in Niagara Falls, Ontario, just across the Whirlpool Bridge.