Union Station (Utica, New York) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boehlert Transportation Center Utica, NY
Utica Union Station in 2010
Location	321 Main Street, Utica, New York
Owned by	Oneida County
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Mohawk Subdivision) Adirondack Scenic Railroad
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	3
Connections	CENTRO of Oneida: 12 Greyhound Birnie Bus Services Adirondack Trailways Chenango Valley Bus Company
Construction
Parking	Yes; free
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	UCA
History
Opened	April 1914
Rebuilt	1978
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	60,330  0.77%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Rome toward Niagara Falls, New York Empire Service Amsterdam toward New York Rome toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, Ontario Maple Leaf Syracuse toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Schenectady toward New York or Boston South Preceding station Adirondack Scenic Railroad Following station Terminus Main Line Holland Patent toward Lake Placid
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Syracuse toward Chicago Lake Shore Colonie–Schenectady toward New York (Grand Central) Rome toward Detroit (Michigan Central) Niagara Rainbow Amsterdam toward New York (Grand Central) Preceding station Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Following station Terminus Utica Branch New Hartford toward Binghamton Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Whitesboro toward Chicago Main Line North Frankfort toward New York Terminus Adirondack Division Marcy toward Montreal St. Lawrence Division Marcy toward Ogdensburg Whitesboro after 1914 toward Buffalo–Exchange Street West Shore Railroad Main Line South Utica toward Weehawken Clark's Mills toward Buffalo–Exchange Street
Union Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Main St. between John and 1st Sts., Utica, New York
Area	1 acre (0.4 ha)
Built	1914
Architect	Stem & Fellheimer
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	75001215
Added to NRHP	April 28, 1975

The Boehlert Transportation Center at Union Station is a busy train station in Utica, New York. It is a stop for Amtrak trains and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. The station is owned by Oneida County. It is named after Sherwood Boehlert, a former U.S. Representative.

The station building has a special look called the Italianate style. It has a strong granite first floor and buff-colored bricks above. The building is shaped like a rectangle. It has 13 sections on the front and 15 sections on the sides. A brick wall sits on top of the building. Above the main door, there is a large clock with eagle statues on each side. This station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 because of its importance.

Inside the station, you can find a restaurant and even a barber shop. It's one of the few train stations today that still has a barber shop! The main waiting room is very large, about 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²). Its ceiling is 47-foot-high (14 m) and shaped like a vault. This ceiling is held up by 34 marble columns. The plans for the station said that these columns should come from the famous Grand Central Station in New York City. There are also eight big benches that are kept warm with steam pipes.

Every day, eight Amtrak trains use this station. These include two Lake Shore Limited trains, four Empire Service trains, and two Maple Leaf trains. The Adirondack Scenic Railroad also runs special trains from Utica. These trains go to places like Holland Patent and Old Forge. They run during certain times of the year.

Station History

Interior architectural features (columns & arches)

The station was built between 1912 and May 1914. It replaced an older station from 1869. The famous New York architects Stem and Fellheimer designed the building. To build the station, they even had to move the Mohawk River! The river was moved because of flood risks and its closeness to the railroad. This was a big problem for the growing city.

When it first opened, it was a station for the New York Central Railroad. By 1915, other train companies, like the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and the New York, Ontario and Western Railway, also started using it. They left their old stations to come here.

In the past, the waiting room had many more things. It had three ticket windows, an information office, and 15 pay telephones. There was also a Western Union office, two places to get your shoes shined, and a bar and grill. Today, the Western Union office is no longer there.

The station used to have many more platforms and tracks. It had six island platforms and one platform directly from the building. These served 12 tracks for the New York Central Railroad. There was also another platform for the New York, Ontario and Western Railway and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. All the platforms were connected by an underground path. The NYOW stopped its passenger service to Union Station between 1921 and 1932.

After World War II, fewer people traveled by train. This led to fewer train services. The Lackawanna and New York Central railroads eventually went out of business. The last Lackawanna trains left in 1950. By the late 1960s, only the main Water Level Route was still running regular passenger trains. Over time, most of the platforms were taken down. The area where the first seven tracks used to be was turned into a parking lot for passengers.

The station started being fixed up in 1978. Work to make it look new again is still happening today. The building is officially listed as a historic place. It is also part of a larger historic area called Bagg's Square East National Register Historic District.

Station Design

The inside of the large waiting room uses a lot of marble. You can see marble columns and wall coverings. The floor is made of a special material called terrazzo. The original benches in the waiting room are still used today. They are special because they have a heating system built right into them!

How the Station Works Now

The rear of Union Station with an Adirondack Scenic Railroad train approaching

Today, Union Station has two main platforms. One is a side platform. You can get to it right from the parking lot. This platform is for Amtrak trains going east. The other is an island platform. This platform serves Amtrak trains going west and Adirondack Scenic Railroad trains. These two platforms are connected by a walkway above the tracks. This walkway was built when the station was updated around the year 2000.

Bus Services

This station is a place where you can switch between trains and buses. It was one of the first places in New York to offer this! Several bus companies serve the station:

• CENTRO of Oneida
• Greyhound Lines
• Birnie Bus Services
• Adirondack Trailways
• Coach USA/Chenango Valley Bus Company

Images for kids

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  Utica Union Station in 2010

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  Interior architectural features (columns & arches)

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  The rear of Union Station with an Adirondack Scenic Railroad train approaching

• Amtrak – Stations – Utica, NY