Still more Monday morning rail news:
New Buffalo Amtrak station opens
Amtrak’s new downtown Buffalo, N.Y., station opened Sunday, with the $28 million structure replacing a building from 1952 that had occupied the same spot. The Buffalo News reports the new building, at 4,800 square feet, is about three times as large as its predecessor, and has a covered platform, as well as more seating and parking. Officials including Mayor Byron W. Brown, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, and state Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People=-Stokes took part in a ribbon-cutting to mark the opening. A video look at the new station is available here.
Man arrested after threatening Amtrak crew with knife
A 31-year-old Portland, Ore., man was arrested Saturday for threatening Amtrak crew members with a knife aboard the Empire Builder during a stop near Oakdale, Wis. The La Crosse Tribune reports Timothy Isaiah Thomas tried to use the knife to get past the crew members and into a secured part of the train; after the incident, he left the train but was located by the Wisconsin State Patrol shortly thereafter walking along a nearby highway. No one was injured during the incident. Amtrak and Canadian Pacific police and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate.
New York subway operator dies after being found unconscious in cab
A New York City Transit subway operator has died after being found unconscious in the cab of his train on Friday. The New York Daily News reports Kevin White, 55, was found unconscious when the train’s conductor went to investigate the train’s lengthy stop at the 145th Street station in Harlem. He was taken to the hospital with a reported cardiac condition and could not be revived. White was a 31-year veteran of NYC Transit service. “Even in his final moments, Kevin was a heroic worker who brought his passengers safely into the station while apparently in medical distress,” interim NYC Transit president Sarah Feinberg said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
