Rhinecliff Amtrak Station renovation is set to proceed after federal officials cleared the project to move forward, despite an April review of a $28 million federal grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Rhinecliff station project cleared to continue
Photo: www.poughkeepsiejournal.com

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan said on June 4⁠ that the Federal Railroad Administration had told the New York State Department of Transportation earlier in the week that work on the project could continue. Ryan’s office said both agencies had confirmed that the renovation would go ahead.

Federal Railroad Administration clears project path

The announcement came after Schumer and Ryan sent an April letter to Federal Railroad Administration Administrator David Armstrong Fink. In the letter, they requested an explanation for the review, urged the agency to stop delaying the project and called for the federal funding to be released.

Schumer said the station project had been held up after federal support was delayed.

“When Congressman Ryan and I heard the Trump administration was senselessly delaying federal support we’ve fought hard to secure, we immediately called on the Federal Railroad Administration to cut the red tape and stop derailing this vital project,”

“I’m proud to learn FRA has heeded our calls and will be moving forward with plans to bring Dutchess County the modern and accessible train station it deserves.”

Ryan said he had spoken directly with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about the importance of the Rhinecliff project for the Hudson Valley.

“I’m very grateful he listened, engaged constructively, and acted quickly to get things back on track,”

“That’s the kind of effective bipartisanship I’m fighting for, and I will continue to make sure Rhinecliff Station gets the resources it needs to serve our community.”

Former U.S. Rep. and former Federal Transit Administrator Marc Molinaro, who was involved in launching the station improvement effort, said he also worked with federal officials and local stakeholders as the project moved forward again.

“I was proud to help get this project moving years ago and to work with Secretary Duffy to help get it back on track,”

“Rhinecliff Station is vital to the Hudson Valley’s economy and quality of life, and ensuring this investment moves forward means a safer, more accessible and more reliable experience for the people who depend on it every day.”

ADA-compliant infrastructure upgrades remain part of the work

Lawmakers said the station is among the busiest in New York, but its condition has worsened over the past 15 years. They also said the site needs federally mandated ADA-compliant infrastructure upgrades and other modernization work.

An Amtrak fact sheet for the 2019 fiscal year⁠ showed that Rhinecliff Station served 211,139 passengers. That placed it fourth in New York after Penn Station, Albany-Rensselaer Station and Hudson Station.

Rhinecliff Station is located 90 miles north of New York City and is served by 26 Amtrak trains daily⁠.

Ryan and Schumer did not give a firm construction start date. Still, they said the late delay in construction planning could have put years of work at risk.

“We will continue watching like hawks to ensure this project stays on track for the local commuters and hundreds of thousands of travelers that come through every year,” Schumer said.