FOLLOWING THEIR PUSH, SCHUMER AND RYAN ANNOUNCE TRUMP ADMIN IS ONCE AGAIN MOVING FORWARD WITH $28 MILLION IN FED FUNDING FOR RHINECLIFF TRAIN STATION UPGRADES & REPAIRS

Schumer And Ryan Forced End To Federal Delays After Trump Admin Derailed $28M Grant For Rhinecliff Station Upgrades Without Explanation

Schumer, In 2020, Personally Visited Rhinecliff Station - One Of NY's Busiest - To Push For Fed Funding For Much-Needed Repairs To Give Dutchess County And The Hudson Valley The Modern Train Station It Deserves

Schumer, Ryan: Rhinecliff Train Station Upgrades Are Getting Back On Track!

After demanding an end to inexplicable delays for $28 million in much-needed federal funding to upgrade the Rhinecliff train station, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan today announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has heeded their calls and will again be moving forward with the project. The lawmakers explained that the Rhinecliff train station is one of New York's busiest train stations, and delaying this funding could deny Hudson Valley commuters the modern, accessible station they need and deserve. FRA's assurance that the project is moving forward means that the temporarily stalled project can now get back on track.

"The Rhinecliff train station is one of New York's busiest transportation hubs, but it is in desperate need of critical infrastructure and accessibility improvements. 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," said Senator Schumer. "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. 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."

"Rhinecliff Station is central to our Hudson Valley community and one of the busiest in New York. We've been fighting for years, not just for more transit options for passengers but to improve our existing infrastructure. The Rhinecliff Station project is the product of years of community advocacy and bipartisan partnership at the local, state, and federal level," said Congressman Pat Ryan. "The Hudson Valley was rightly outraged when DOT suddenly paused the construction, jeopardizing our progress and leaving our community in the dark. I made it clear when I spoke to Secretary Duffy that this project is essential, and that our neighbors would rally with everything we have to save it. That's exactly what we did. Because of our advocacy, we're making sure Rhinecliff Station gets the resources it needs to serve our community."

New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, "The Rhinecliff Train Station is long overdue for full-scale renovations and upgrades, and Washington should not stand in the way of modernizing this critical transportation hub for Dutchess County and the thousands of Hudson Valley commuters and visitors who rely on it. Between my office and our partners at all levels of government, I'm glad the FRA has heard our calls and is moving construction forward so that we can provide the safe and accessible railway connection that Hudson Valley residents deserve. We will continue to closely monitor progress and work to ensure the project reaches the finish line without further unnecessary delays."

New York State Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha said, "It's a relief the FRA has resumed the essential upgrades at the Rhinecliff station, but this pause should never have happened in the first place, and we have yet to receive an explanation for it. Infrastructure projects like this should be completed as swiftly as possible, instead of stalling them with multiple unnecessary delays. I will continue to work with partners at all levels of government to ensure the Trump administration gets this done."

The lawmakers explained that the Rhinecliff Station is one of the busiest in New York, but for over 15 years, it has been in utter disrepair with desperately needed accessibility upgrades. The station is 90 miles from New York City and serves 26 Amtrak trains daily. In 2019, the station serviced over 200,000 passengers according to Amtrak. The existing low-level platform requires passengers to use a step stool to transition from the platform, which has created severe accessibility issues and caused many operational delays, which is on top of many other routine maintenance issues that have gotten worse over the years due to a lack of funding.

In early 2020, Schumer fought to secure the federal dollars needed for Amtrak and New York State to finally undertake federally mandated ADA-compliant infrastructure upgrades and modernizations the station required. Schumer personally visited the Rhinecliff Station in 2020 to push for this funding to finance the construction to replace the existing 520-foot-long low-level platform at the Rhinecliff Station with a new, longer high-level platform. In addition, it will also help complete related track and signal work, including a new interlocking south of the station, and will build new access to the platform, including stairs, elevators, and a pedestrian bridge.

In April, the Trump administration told local officials that it was putting Rhinecliff Train Station's more than $28 million federal grant under review without an explanation and canceled meetings on the project. Local leaders worried the review would risk years of progress on the project, right as they enter the final phases. Schumer and Ryan called on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator David Armstrong Fink to immediately provide the public and local leaders with an explanation of what this review means, to stop federal delays, and release this much-needed funding for the Hudson Valley. Schumer and Ryan's letter to FRA Administrator David Armstrong Fink can be found HERE.

The FRA earlier this week informed the New York State Department of Transportation that it can continue moving forward with the project.

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