Schenectady's $15M Amtrak station upgrades begin; new platform, 2nd track part of improvements

Work has begun on a $15 million project that will replace the Amtrak station in Schenectady and alleviate delays for passenger trains.

The Daily Gazette of Schenectady reports (http://bit.ly/1opybAT ) that construction crews have started work on a new platform that will allow for a second track to be built between Albany and Schenectady. The extra track will be used by freight trains that currently share the current track with Amtrak trains.

State transportation officials say adding the second track will help shave off several minutes from the trip between Schenectady and the Albany-Rensselaer station.

The new platform is expected to be completed next year, when work on a new station is scheduled to start.

In Rochester, construction the city's new Amtrak station is expected to start this fall.

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Information from: The Daily Gazette, http://www.dailygazette.com/