As if to signify that Americans of this period had made up their minds about preferring driving over rail travel. Sadly, New York Central and nearly all of the major rail lines serving Union Station were out of business or absorbed into larger rail conglomerates by the late 1960s, the once mighty New York Central Railroad included.īy the mid-1970s, all but two of the station's platforms and three of its tracks were demolished to make way for commuter parking lots. By the mid-1930s, the station used eight passenger platforms serving an impressive 14 tracks. This included the mighty New York Central Railroad, which, at its peak, served 12 different states and two Canadian provinces. Over the decades, the station saw service with a slew of independent rail services in the days before Amtrak semi-nationalized the bulk of interstate commuter rail service. Complete with the very same central clock surrounded by detailed eagle sculptures on either side that's greeted travelers here since the building opened 108 years ago. Most non-driving commuters instead use the station's Italianate-styled front entrance. When entering Utica's Union Station from its rear entrance closest to its three tracks, two platforms, and main parking lot, there isn't much indication that what lies inside is anything all that special. The main train hall, now dubbed the Boehlert Transportation Center at Union Station after a local politician, still retains so much of what made the station a unique place to ride the rails years ago. An entire section of the nearby Mohawk River needed to be rerouted away from and around the station to ensure water levels never reached the train platforms. Opened in April 1914 in Utica's historic Bagg's Square neighborhood, Union Station is every bit the contemporary of America's more famous pioneering rail stations. They sure kick the snot out of modern Amtrak coach cars, that for sure. A station with stunning architecture, loads of history, and a train yard full of stunning rail cars from the golden years of American rail transportation. A delightfully quaint train terminal located 236.7 miles (381 km) northwest of New York City. But New York State is a big old place with amazing rail architecture outside of the city if one goes and looks for it. Either the gargantuan but nowadays shabby-looking Penn Station or the slightly smaller but exponentially prettier looking Grand Central Terminal, both in New York City. That's because most people have only heard of two major New York train stations.
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