U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced Amtrak will rename the Rochester Intermodal Station the “Louise M. Slaughter Intermodal Station in Rochester.” Last week, Schumer and Gillibrand in a letter to Amtrak said, renaming the train station is fitting for such an individual who busted through every bureaucratic hurdle and was solely responsible for securing the necessary federal funding for a train station that will strengthen Rochester’s economy and help residents travel more safely and reliably throughout the region.
“When I first ran for U.S. Senate, Louise volunteered to drive this Brooklyn guy around Rochester and Western New York. Everywhere we went it felt like Louise was introducing me to extended family members, but in reality they were just her constituents. To Louise everyone in her district – whether they were Democrats or Republicans – she treated like her family. That’s just the type of person Louise was. I have always admired Louise having worked with her when I was a member of the House of Representatives, but seeing her in action it was clearer than ever that she was a true powerhouse and staunch advocate for her constituents. There aren’t many places around 25th congressional district that you could say Louise hasn’t made a meaningful impact on. One of Louise’s most significant accomplishments was delivering the federal funding that made the Rochester Train Station a reality. Louise fought for years fighting to secure over $15 million in federal funding, so it was only logical and necessary for Amtrak to rename the train station after Louise, a legend in her own right and a fierce advocate for her constituents,” said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer.
“It’s wonderful news that Amtrak is renaming the Rochester train station after my dear friend and colleague Louise Slaughter,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Louise was one of the most effective members of Congress I’ve ever worked with, and bringing this station to Rochester was one of her proudest accomplishments. Now, whenever anyone rides the train across New York, Louise Slaughter and Rochester will be inseparable. That’s a fitting, meaningful tribute to one of the great public servants of our time, and I was very proud to support the effort to change this station’s name.”
On October 5, 2017, Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (NY-25) after years of fighting to secure over $15 million in federal funding, announced the grand opening of the Rochester train station. Almost a year later, Slaughter passed away after 47 years of dedicated public service on behalf of the people of Rochester and Western New York. Schumer, Gillibrand said Amtrak will work with the City of Rochester and State of New York on the details of the naming, commemorative plaque and necessary funding for these efforts.
The Senators’ letter to Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson appears below:
Dear Mr. Anderson,
We write to ask that in recognition of U.S. Representative Louise M. Slaughter’s many achievements and tireless work on behalf of her constituents throughout the greater Rochester region that you name the Rochester Intermodal Station in her honor. The simple fact is the new Rochester station would not now exist without Louise Slaughter’s vision and determination.
Throughout her many decades of service in the U.S. Congress, her steadfast focus was to move Rochester forward and the new train station was no exception. She first spearheaded the drive to secure a $3.5 million federal preliminary engineering grant to help design the new train station and then a $15 million Federal TIGER grant to construct the new station. She then took care to oversee its development to ensure it would be both a fitting new efficient gateway to Rochester that honored the legacy of Rochester’s original Claude Bragdon designed station, while being universally accessible to accommodate all passengers with a new modern ADA compliant concourse and platforms.
Since it’s opening in 2017, this modern efficient station has been a tremendous success providing thousands of riders with a fitting welcome to Rochester – the community that Congresswoman Slaughter loved and fought for every day. For her many constituents who will pass through its doors in the decades to come and for those who may be making their first trip to Rochester, it is only fitting to now dedicate the Rochester Intermodal Station to our colleague Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter.