Buffalo–Exchange Street station

The fourth Buffalo–Exchange Street station in 2011

Planning for the fourth and final New York Central structure began in 1949. New York heavily funded the station as being part of the Skyway construction. The total cost was $7 million. The station opened on August 2, 1952, as a secondary station to the Buffalo Central Terminal.[9] The station originally served 21 New York Central and Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway trains daily. The double track station had two side platforms connected by an overhead walkway.

Soon after the station was built passenger rail service began a steep decline that would eventually lead to the end of private passenger rail service in the United States. As part of the decline and problems within the railroad, in 1961, the New York Central Railroad ceased passenger operations to Niagara Falls, and the station building was closed, though some trains continued to stop at the platforms for a brief time.[9][10] During this time the overhead walkway that connected the station's two platforms was demolished.

On October 29, 1978, Amtrak routed the Niagara Rainbow through Niagara Falls, restoring service to downtown Buffalo and to the station. One old platform was reused immediately; a temporary structure was used for Niagara Rainbow and Empire State Express passengers while the station building was renovated.[10] Exchange Street became one of the two main Buffalo train stations alongside the then-new Buffalo–Depew station when Buffalo Central Terminal closed in 1979. The line was later reduced to single track in the 1980s and the second platform was abandoned.

By the 2000s, the Buffalo–Exchange Street station had gained a reputation for being long outdated and in such a deteriorating condition that it got dubbed as one of the saddest Amtrak stations in America by CityLab in 2015.[11] In September 2016, the station building was temporarily closed due to a partial collapse during heavy rains, further highlighting the need for a new station. The platforms remained open for passengers.[12] Demolition of the 1952 station began on August 22, 2019, to make way for the new station.[13]

The first train, Maple Leaf, arriving at the new platform on November 8, 2020

Beginning in 2016, there were proposals to replace the dilapidated station with either a station at Canalside or at Buffalo Central Terminal as part of that building's restoration. The Exchange Street site where the previous station sat was chosen because of its proximity to the central business district, though public opinion strongly favored the Buffalo Central Terminal site. Supporters of the latter site alleged that the selection was made for political favors rather than on the merits of the downtown site.[14] On April 17, 2017, a panel including Buffalo mayor Byron Brown approved the downtown location.[15]

Interior of rebuilt Buffalo Exchange Street station

The New York State Department of Transportation awarded a $27.7 million design-build contract in December 2018.[16] Construction of a temporary station began in June 2019 and the 1952 station was demolished shortly after.[17] 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.[2] 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.