New York State Fair station

New York State Fair is an intercity rail station serving the New York State Fairground in Syracuse, New York. It is served by Amtrak Empire Service and Maple Leaf trains while the fair is in operation. The station is located in the southwest corner of the fairgrounds, with a shuttle service to the central area.[4][5] It consists of an unsheltered low island platform between two of the four tracks of the former New York Central Railroad Water Level Route, with a sheltered waiting area nearby. A mobile lift provides handicapped access.

New York State Fair
Shelter and waiting area in August 2011
Location581 State Fair Boulevard, Gate 11
Syracuse, New York
Coordinates43°4′18.2″N 76°13′46.3″W
Line(s)Water Level Route
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks4
Construction
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeNYF
History
OpenedAugust 22, 2002[1][2]
Passengers
20031,100[3]
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Rochester
toward Niagara Falls, New York
 Empire Service Syracuse
toward New York
Rochester
toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, Ontario
 Maple Leaf

History
The 2002-constructed platform in 2011

New York Central trains stopped at the fair beginning in the 19th century, but service was eventually discontinued.[6] In 2001, the Empire State Passengers Association brokered talks between Amtrak and the New York State Fair Director about adding the Fair as an Amtrak stop, with positive response from both parties.[7] After an agreement was reached with CSX, the Fair constructed a platform and cinderblock shelter, and Amtrak stopped at the 2002 fair. Approximately 1000 riders - most from Rochester - used the stop in 2002, taking advantage of half-price admission to the fair when arriving by train.[1]

Ridership has remained constant at around 1,000 passengers using the stop at each fair. Most are from Rochester and Buffalo, as Amtrak schedules do not allow riders from the east to spend a full day at the fair, and CENTRO runs buses from Syracuse with higher frequency and lower fares.[5][6] In 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo intervened when scheduling conflicts with CSX threatened service to the fair.[6]

References
  1. "Amtrak's State Fair Stop Proves Popular". The ESPA Express. Empire State Passengers Association. October 2002.
  2. Lankes, Tiffany (2 September 2002). "State Fair attendance drops, vendors suffer sales losses". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  3. "Another Successful Year of State Fair Service". The ESPA Express. Empire State Passengers Association. October 2003.
  4. "2011 New York State Fair Map" (PDF). New York State Fair Commission. 2011.
  5. Kirst, Sean (29 August 2014). "More on Amtrak at the New York State Fair: What would it take to attract more riders - including you?". Syracuse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  6. Kirst, Sean (28 August 2014). "Amtrak at the New York State Fair: For a core of loyal customers, the only way to go". Syracuse.com. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  7. "Good News and Bad at Annual Meeting". The ESPA Express. Empire State Passengers Association. April 2002.
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