Taking the Train to Niagara Falls

Here’s everything you need to know about the Amtrak station in Niagara Falls, NY:

🚂 Amtrak Niagara Falls Station (NFL)

📍 Address: 825 Depot Ave W, Niagara Falls, NY 14305 📞 Phone: 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) 🌐 Website: amtrak.com/stations/nfl ⭐ Rating: 4.3 / 5

🕐 Station Hours

The station is open Monday through Sunday, 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM. Note that trains may arrive or depart outside these staffed hours, so plan accordingly if traveling early morning or late night.

🏛️ About the Building

Amtrak began serving the new Niagara Falls Intermodal Transportation Center on December 6, 2016. The approximately $43 million, 46,000-square-foot building is visually divided into three components: a historic federal customs house containing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection unit and the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center; an orange brick structure housing the Amtrak waiting room and concession spaces; and a glass-enclosed hyphen connecting the two, which includes a two-story lobby and sweeping staircase. A soaring clock tower on the eastern end of the property creates a landmark visible up and down Main Street.

The station is adjacent to the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, which spans the Niagara River between the US and Canada.

🚆 Trains Served

The Amtrak Niagara Falls Train Station, less than five miles from Niagara Falls State Park, is served by the Empire Service and Maple Leaf trains.

Empire Service — Runs daily between New York Penn Station (Moynihan Train Hall) and Niagara Falls, stopping at Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, Albany-Rensselaer, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Utica, Rome, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. The full trip from New York takes approximately 9 hours (552 minutes).

Maple Leaf — A joint Amtrak/VIA Rail Canada train that runs from New York City through Buffalo and Niagara Falls NY, then continues across the border into Niagara Falls, Ontario and on to Toronto. Customers crossing the U.S.–Canada border on the Maple Leaf are processed in the station by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

🛂 Crossing Into Canada

This is an important detail for international travelers. The station is adjacent to the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge that spans the Niagara River and links the United States and Canada. If you’re arriving from Canada on the Maple Leaf, everyone must disembark with all their belongings to go through customs at the station before re-boarding.

📍 Location & Getting to the Falls

The Amtrak Niagara Falls Station (NFL) is located less than five miles from Niagara Falls State Park and downtown Niagara Falls, NY. Once you arrive, taxis, Uber, and Lyft are all available from the station. Local Metro buses also serve the intermodal center.

🧳 Practical Tips

• Arrive at least 45 minutes prior to departure if you’re checking baggage or need ticketing/passenger assistance, and at least 30 minutes prior if you’re not checking baggage.
• The station has clean restrooms, ample seating, and a waiting area, though reviewers note there is no café or convenience store inside.
• Parking is available on-site (owned by the City of Niagara Falls/NYS DOT).
• The station is wheelchair accessible.
• The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is located inside the building — worth a visit while you wait!

🏛️ History

Passenger rail service to Niagara Falls was restored in October 1978 — 17 years after cessation of service — through financial support from New York State. The new 2016 station replaced an older facility on the city’s outskirts.

Quick tip: Always check Amtrak.com for real-time schedules and to book tickets, as train times change seasonally and delays can occur.