latter site alleged that the selection was made for political favors rather than on the merits of the downtown site. On April 17, 2017, a panel including Buffalo mayor Byron Brown approved the downtown location. The New York State Department of Transportation awarded a $27.7 million design-build contract in December 2018. Construction of a temporary station began in June 2019 and the 1952 station was demolished shortly after. The new station opened on November 8, 2020. The first train to stop at the station was the eastbound Maple Leaf, arriving at 12:55 p.m. Assemblywomen Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Byron Brown, and State Senator Tim Kennedy attended the ribbon cutting. The new Buffalo–Exchange Street station in 2020 came as part of upgrades made to the Empire Corridor which also included new stations in Niagara Falls in 2016, Rochester in 2017 and Schenectady in 2018. Station layout The current station is and is closer to Exchange Street and higher in elevation then the previous station so the building is not shadowed by the Interstate 190 viaduct. There is a lit, covered pedestrian walkway under I-190 to connect the Amtrak station to Erie Canal Harbor station of Buffalo Metro Rail on Main Street. Trains call at a single high-level covered side platform serving one track with a second track for freight trains to pass through the station away from the platform. There is a waiting room on the east side of the building, designated drop-off and pick-up zones, and an area for 14 canopied parking spaces for Greyhound, Trailways and NFTA buses if they are later added. References External links Buffalo–Exchange Street Amtrak Station (USA RailGuide – TrainWeb) Amtrak stations in New York (state) Former New York Central Railroad stations Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Railway stations in the United States opened in 1952 Railway stations in the United States opened in 2020 Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach stations in New York (state) Railway stations in Buffalo, New York 1952 establishments in New York (state) 2020 establishments in New York (state)