Amtrak to rename Rochester station for Rep. Louise Slaughter

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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U.S. Rep. Louis Slaughter at the opening of the the Rochester Train Station in October 2017.
Philip Kamrass/ Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Amtrak will rename its Rochester Intermodal Station the "Louise M. Slaughter Intermodal Station in Rochester," U.S. Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced this week.  

 

U.S. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-25) announced the grand opening of the Rochester train station on Oct. 5, 2017, after years of work to secure more than $15 million in federal funding for the station.

Rep. Slaughter died on March 16, 2018, after 47 years of public service on behalf of Rochester and Western New York residents. Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand said Amtrak will work with the city of Rochester and state of New York on the details of the naming, commemorative plaque and funding for these efforts.

Last week, the two senators sent a letter to Amtrak stating that renaming the train station would be fitting for a person who overcame bureaucratic hurdles and secured the federal funding needed for a train station that would bolster Rochester’s economy and enable residents travel throughout the region more safely and reliably.

Sen. Schumer said one of Rep. Slaughter’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,” Sen. Schumer said.

Sen. Gillibrand said Rep. Slaughter was one of the most effective members of Congress she had 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,” Sen. Gillibrand said.

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