FOLLOWING HIS PERSONAL PUSH ON THE RHINECLIFF STATION PLATFORM, SCHUMER SECURES MAJOR OVER $28 MILLION GRANT TO CREATE NEW STATE OF THE ART RHINECLIFF TRAIN STATION; AFTER +15 YEARS OF DILAPIDATION, RHINECLIFF -ONE OF NY’S BUSIEST STATIONS –WILL GET TOTAL REVAMP TO BRING HUDSON VALLEY TRANSPORTATION HUB INTO 21st CENTURY

Rhinecliff Station Is In State Of Disrepair - Despite Status As One Of NY’s Top Stations – Schumer Personally Visited And Fought For Years For Feds To Prioritize Making Hudson Valley Hub The Modern Train Station Commuters Needed, Now Senator Has Delivered On His Promise To The Tune Of $28M  

Schumer Secured Funding Will Completely Overhaul The Train Platform, Boost Accessibility, Upgrade Outdated Infrastructure And More

Schumer: Full Steam Ahead For New Modern State Of The Art Rhinecliff Train Station

After launching an all-out push on the dilapidated steps of the train station in 2020, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that he has successfully secured $28,222,897 to go towards New York State's work in overhauling and completely revamping the Rhinecliff Train Station to give Hudson Valley commuters the modern accessible station they have desperately needed. Schumer explained that for more than fifteen years the Rhinecliff Station –one of New York’s busiest– has been in severe disrepair and missed out on opportunities for federal grants and critical infrastructure upgrades because of property disputes leading to bureaucratic red tape. In early 2020, Schumer began fighting to secure the federal dollars needed for Amtrak and New York State to finally undertake federally mandated ADA-compliant infrastructure upgrades and modernizations the station required for its hundreds of thousands of commuters each year.  Now, thanks to Schumer’s relentless advocacy, the station will finally be able to replace the existing 520-foot-long low-level platform with a new, longer safer high-level platform, along with other much-needed infrastructure and accessibility upgrades to give Dutchess County and Hudson Valley residents the commute they deserve.

“All aboard and full steam ahead for a brand new Rhinecliff Train Station. I have fought for years to get these much needed upgrades back on track and it is my pleasure to say to the commuters of the Hudson Valley that over $28 million in federal funding will now give Rhinecliff the infrastructure and accessibility upgrades it has desperately needed,” said Senator Chuck Schumer. “As one of the most traveled stations in New York, the Rhinecliff Station is the beating heart of Dutchess County, and now it will get a well overdue facelift and more importantly, become accessible for the hundreds of thousands of travelers that come through every year.” 

"We are thrilled about the progress made in securing the funding needed to upgrade the Rhinecliff Station and thank Senator Schumer for personally coming to Rhinebeck in early 2020 to advocate to make this happen. This $28 million federal investment shows that our years-long efforts have paid off and will assist New York State and Amtrak in its design and construction work to upgrade the platform and make it more accessible for our residents," said Town of Rhinebeck Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia.

“Amtrak is grateful to Senator Schumer for championing the Rhinecliff Station High Level Platform, Vertical Circulation and Interlocking Project over the finish line and thankful to the FRA for awarding a grant of more than $28 million to fund this critical infrastructure and accessibility project in the State of New York,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy, Planning & Accessibility Dennis Newman. “The funding from this grant will help Amtrak, and our partners at NYSDOT and CSX, modernize the infrastructure in the state, improve the reliability and operational flexibility of intercity train services through the station, and furthers Amtrak’s current efforts to provide a more accessible station for a better travel experience for New York residents and visitors.”

Schumer explained that the Rhinecliff Station is one of the busiest in New York, but for over 15 years it has been in utter disrepair with desperately needed accessibility upgrades. The station is 90 miles from New York City and serves 26 Amtrak trains daily. In 2019, the station serviced over 200,000 passengers according to Amtrak. The existing low-level platform requires passengers to use a step stool to transition from the platform, which has created severe accessibility issues and caused many operational delay. Which is on top of many other routine maintenance issues that have gotten worse over the years due to a lack of funding. Schumer said that today’s announcement though would be a turning point for the station, and make repairs to finally giving the people of Dutchess County the modern transportation services needed with ADA compliant design.

Schumer personally visited the Rhinecliff Station in 2020 to push for this funding.  This new funding will finance the construction to replace the existing 520-foot-long low-level platform at the Rhinecliff Station with a new, longer high-level platform. In addition, it will also help complete related track and signal work, including a new interlocking south of the station, and will build new access to the platform including stairs, elevators, and a pedestrian bridge.

The project was funded through the FY21 Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair. In the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law, Senator Schumer secured $36 billion over five years to expand and improve the program, now called the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grants.

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