ALBANY, N.Y. — Saying he is frustrated by delays in opening the new $53.1 million Rensselaer train station, Gov. George Pataki says he wants to help get negotiations between the Capital District Transportation Authority and Amtrak back on track, the Albany Times-Union reported.
“We want to see what we can do to help get this thing solved,” said Pataki spokesman Michael McKeon. “The governor is concerned this has taken too long to get done.”
Pataki’s entry into the stalled negotiations represents the latest chapter in efforts to get Amtrak to sign a lease at the new station built expressly for the rail carrier by CDTA.
Amtrak has yet to sign a lease for the unopened station, which has been plagued by cost overruns and delays.
Originally scheduled for opening in spring 2001, the station has yet to open, although CDTA officials say it is close to completion.
Prospects for a deal were derailed a few weeks ago when Amtrak President David Gunn suggested the financially strapped carrier may not be able to afford a lease at the new station, which is the system’s ninth busiest.
At that time, Gunn also said he believed New York and other states that are heavy Amtrak users should pay more to keep the passenger service afloat.
Created in 1971, Amtrak has never turned a profit and lost $1.17 billion in fiscal 2001. It received a $100 million federal loan to keep it going this year, but Congress and the Bush administration don’t yet have a long-term strategy for the rail service. Amtrak is seeking $1.2 billion to keep running next year.
The Pataki administration didn’t expand on how it might try to jump-start lease negotiations, but the news was welcomed by CDTA and others.
“There seems to be considerable interest on the part of the governor’s office to provide some assistance,” said CDTA spokeswoman Margot Janack.
“Clearly, any input or assistance that the governor wishes to provide in the negotiations between Amtrak and the CDTA would be welcome,” added Marcia White, an aide to state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, who was a key supporter of the station. Bruno and Pataki aren’t the only politicians to join efforts to reach an agreement. Sen. Charles Schumer met with Gunn, although the New York Democrat came away without a commitment in hand.
Meanwhile, Amtrak passengers, who still use the old Rensselaer station adjacent to the new structure, may have to wait for their trains with a growling stomach. The small restaurant has been closed since late July, with no immediate plans to reopen until the new station comes on line, according to a ticket agent.