Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)

525 East Street
Rensselaer, NY 12144-2310

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $44,796,167
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 790,673

• Ownerships
• Routes Served
• Contact
• Local Community Links

• Facility Ownership: Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) Facilities, Inc.
• Parking Lot Ownership: Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) Facilities, Inc.
• Platform Ownership: Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) Facilities, Inc.
• Track Ownership: CSX Transportation

• Adirondack
• Berkshire Flyer (summer season)
• Empire Service
• Ethan Allen Express
• Lake Shore Limited
• Maple Leaf

Jane Brophy
Regional Contact
governmentaffairsnyc@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

• City of Rensselaer
• City of Albany
• Amtrak Northeast Corridor
• Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA)
  • Joseph L. Bruno Rail Station information
  • Flex+, on-demand transportation service from the station
• New York by Rail

The Albany-Rensselaer station was completed in September 2002 for the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) and is the third passenger facility to occupy the site. It was designed by the Schenectady, New York, architectural firm of Stracher Roth Gilmore. Constructed of red brick, the building is crowned by a two-story clock tower that’s become a Rensselaer landmark. The building features gables with two-story windows that allow natural light to flood the airy interior.

In addition to a ticket office and waiting area, the building includes commercial spaces. Various CDTA bus lines operate in the vicinity of the station, as does the Flex+ on-demand service that makes easy connections between the station and downtown Albany destinations such as the Empire State Plaza, New York State Museum, State Capitol and MVP Arena.

In October 2023, the CDTA dedicated the facility in honor of former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, who was a strong advocate for transportation investments and played a pivotal role in securing funding for the station.

From 1899 to 1968, trains arrived and departed from Union Station across the Hudson River in downtown Albany. This neoclassical stone structure was designed by Rutan and Coolidge, the designers of Boston South Station and Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts. Intricate stone work lines the top of the building, and large windows allowed natural light to illuminate the main ticketing hall. A canopy over the front door is supported by cast iron Corinthian columns. The station also was revolutionary in its use of “subways”: underground walkways that would take passengers directly to their platforms without having to go outside in inclement weather.

By the 1960s, however, the nation was becoming more and more committed to its interstate roads, and the railroads were beginning to take a back-seat to the progress of the highways. New York Central Railroad, which operated the station in the 1950s, planned to relocate its passenger services to make room for construction of Interstate 787. However, it was not until 1968, when the station was owned and operated by Penn Central Transportation Company (PC), that passenger functions were transferred to Rensselaer. On- and off-ramps for Interstate 787, and a spur that leads to the Rensselaer station, now occupy the area where the tracks and platforms were once located. Since the end of train service, Union Station has had various commercial tenants.

The new PC depot, located north of the current station, only served passengers until October 1981 when Amtrak opened a new, larger facility with a parking lot that was better able to accommodate growing ridership. The one-story Amtrak depot was built to a standard company design that incorporated buff brick on the exterior, floor-to-ceiling and clerestory windows, and a black cantilevered roof. Amtrak and New York State jointly funded the $2 million project.

The PC depot was then remodeled for use as a commissary and operating support space, and it stood until early 2011 when it was demolished along with the 1981 depot to accommodate a fourth track at the Albany-Rensselaer station. The addition of this track was necessary to increase capacity and improve train operating flexibility for more efficient passenger boarding and better on-time performance. The track project was funded through federal High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail funds and the New York State Department of Transportation.

Albany holds a significant place in American cultural and military history. The French were the first Europeans to visit the area in 1540. It was, however, the Dutch who subsequently committed significant resources and people to the area, after Dutch explorer Hendrick Christaensen built a fort in 1614. Following the outbreak of a small conflict between the Dutch and British in 1664, the British conquered all of the New Amsterdam colony, from New Amsterdam, now New York City, to the Village of Beverwyck, which they renamed Albany.

The British established military fortifications at the town, which would become a significant military outpost for them. During the French and Indian War, from 1754 to 1763, Albany was a staging ground for British military incursions into French Canada. During the American Revolution, Albany was home to American training operations, and was located close to the Battle of Saratoga, one of the deciding factors in the Americans’ eventual defeat of the British. During this time, West Point was built just down river as means of protecting Albany.

It was also in Albany that the American colonies saw the first attempt at uniting under one common government. At the Albany Congress in 1753, Benjamin Franklin led representatives from each of the 13 American colonies, less New Jersey and Virginia, in a robust debate on the future of the colonial government. They eventually decided on the Albany Plan of Union, which, though it was never passed by the British Parliament, would serve as an example for the framers who would write the Constitution a mere 34 years later. In 1797, less than 20 years after the Revolutionary War, the state capital was officially moved to Albany.

In the post-war years, Albany was home to many of America’s founding fathers. Alexander Hamilton, future secretary of the treasury and confidante of George Washington, studied law in Albany and married the well-known General Phillip Schuyler’s daughter. Aaron Burr, who would go to become vice president, also studied law in Albany at the same time. It was in Albany, in fact, at the home of John Tayler, later lieutenant governor of New York, that Alexander Hamilton would make disparaging remarks against Burr in 1804. The content of these remarks was published in local newspapers, and would lead to Burr challenging the more popular Hamilton to a duel, mortally wounding Hamilton and also ending Burr’s political career.

As an important juncture, halfway between Montreal and New York City and halfway between Boston and Buffalo, Albany continued to grow with the advent of modern transportation. One of the first turnpikes was built by the Great Western Turnpike Company in 1799 between Albany and the Finger Lakes (it eventually became U.S. Route 20). The first commercially viable steamboat ran between New York City and Albany starting in 1807, under the direction of Robert Fulton.

The DeWitt Clinton, the first steam locomotive to operate in New York and the fourth in the country, began operations between Albany and Schenectady in 1831. Passengers could either sit inside cars or on outside “rumble seats,” neither of which provided a smooth or comfortable ride. The locomotive was named after Governor Clinton, who was responsible for the first waterway between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean in 1825 – the Erie Canal. And Albany’s municipal airport was the first in the country in 1908; the international airport is also the oldest in the United States.

To add to its historical significance, many modern presidents have also worked and governed in Albany. Martin Van Buren opened his first law firm in the city in 1817. Cousins Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt both governed from Albany’s majestic State Capitol, which began construction in 1872 at a cost of $25 million.

Today, Albany takes full advantage of its cultural history, with many celebrations of its past. Every spring, Albany celebrates its Tulip Festival in Washington Park – one of the oldest parks in the country. This celebration, which draws local and regional attendance, names a Tulip Queen and includes many musical performances. This fest harkens back to Albany’s Dutch ancestry. From its annual Sidewalk Art Show to its two independent movie theatres, Albany has continued to embrace artistic endeavors and excellence.

Empire Service trains are supported by funds made available by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). The Ethan Allen Express is financed primarily through funds made available by the Vermont Agency of Transportation and NYSDOT. The seasonal Berkshire Flyer (July-September) is supported by funds made available by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and NYSDOT.

Station Building (with waiting room)