SYRACUSE'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Syracuse in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.


THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Syracuse, during the golden age of passenger trains.

New York Central Station
815 Erie Blvd. East.
Opened 1936, replacing earlier station further west which had required street running.

Number of station tracks: 6
Interlocked switches controlled from station
(CTC type system installed 1936 in conjunction with track elevation project)

Lackawanna Station
225 W. Jefferson St.
Opened 1941

The 1936 New York Central station opened in conjunction with grade separation project, along the Erie Canal towpath. Prior to then, New York Central trains actually ran in the middle of Washington St., one block south. The first station opened in 1839 between Salina St. and Warren St. The second station opened in 1870 at Franklin St. and Fayette St., one block south of the railroad. And the third station opened in 1895 at Montgomery St. and Fayette St.


NEW YORK CENTRAL

Departures-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Wolverine             Det.-Chicago   12:04       10:54
 19  Lake Shore Limited    Chicago        12:23       12:02
 47  Detroiter             Detroit        12:44       12:32
 11  Southwestern Limited  St. Louis       1:21   57   1:21
 57  Cleveland Limited     Chicago         1:32       (skip)
 21  Lake Erie             Cleveland       2:12
 29  Niagara               Buffalo         3:50
 59  Iroquois              Chicago        (skip)  35   4:15   63   4:50
 35  Fast Mail             Detroit        (skip)  99   4:22
159  Buffalo Express       Buffalo         5:08
  3                        Geneva-Roch.    5:15        5:00
 63  Genesee               Buffalo         5:21
163  Cayuga                Rochester       5:50
  7                        Watertown       6:30        4:35
337                        Oswego          6:45
 43  South Shore Express   Chicago         9:45       10:10
  5                        Geneva         10:25
  9  Mail                  Buffalo        12:50   95   1:03
 51  Empire State Express  Cleveland       2:17        1:42   71   1:40
  9                        Massena         2:40  609   2:30
  5  Mohawk                Chicago         4:38
 11                        Geneva-Roch.    5:10
 39  North Shore Limited   Det.-Chicago    7:04        6:35   73   5:40
 41  Knickerbocker         St. Louis       8:27        8:00
169  Buffalo Express       Buffalo         9:07
 15  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      9:22        9:20
 67  Commodore Vanderbilt  Chicago        10:04        9:40   75   9:40
 27  New England States    Chicago        10:20        9:05   61  11:55
  1  Pacemaker             Chicago        10:50        8:46
 25  20th Century Limited  Chicago        11:03       (skip)
 33  New Eng. Wolverine    Det.-Chicago   11:50       10:43


Arrivals-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 19  Lake Shore Limited    New York       12:18       11:52
 47  Detroiter             New York       12:44       12:32
 11  Southwestern Limited  New York        1:21   57   1:16
 57  Cleveland Limited     New York        1:32       (skip)
 21  Lake Erie             New York        2:12
455                        Albany          3:15  155   3:15
 29  Niagara               New York        3:40
 59  Iroquois              New York       (skip)  35   4:00   63   4:25
 35  Fast Mail             New York       (skip)  99   4:16
159  Buffalo Express       Boston          5:03
 63  Genesee               New York        5:16
163  Cayuga                New York        5:35
 43  South Shore Express   New York        9:30        9:50
335                        Albany         11:30
  9  Mail                  New York       12:30   95  12:58
 51  Empire State Express  New York        2:12        1:37   71   1:35
 55  Central Express       New York        2:21
107  Syracuse Local        New York        2:49    7   2:55
  5  Mohawk                New York        4:31
 39  North Shore Limited   New York        6:58        6:25   73   5:35
441                        Albany          8:09
 41  Knickerbocker         New York        8:22        7:55
 15  Ohio State Limited    New York        9:17        9:15
 67  Commodore Vanderbilt  New York       10:00        9:40   75   9:35
 27  New England States    Boston         10:10        9:00   61  11:50
  1  Pacemaker             New York       10:45        8:31
 25  20th Century Limited  New York       11:03       (skip)
 33  New Eng. Wolverine    Boston         11:45       10:33
 17  Wolverine             New York       11:59       10:49


Departures-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 30  Iroquois              New York       12:20
 46  Boston Special        Boston         12:46       12:46
 44  New York Special      New York        1:05       12:55
  6  Fifth Avenue Special  New York        1:45        1:33   64  12:55
 48  Detroiter             New York        2:03       (skip)
 82  Ontarian              New York        2:08
  8  Wolverine             New York        3:10        3:30
 16  Ohio State Limited    New York        3:12        3:04
 98  New Eng. Wolverine    Boston          3:25
142  Cayuga                New York        4:43
 28  New England States    Boston         (skip)      (skip)  62   4:50
 10  Water Level Limited   New York        5:45
 24  Knickerbocker         New York        6:30        6:38
 22  Lake Shore Limited    New York        8:40        6:48
 58  Niagara               Albany         10:50        2:27 am
 40  North Shore Limited   New York       11:50   38  10:13   70   8:50
 38  Missourian            New York       12:28   40  11:45
 90  Forest City           New York        1:53        1:08   72  12:50
 34  Seneca                New York        1:58
 50  Empire State Express  New York        4:05        4:00   74   4:50
424                        Albany          4:07
 56  DeWitt Clinton        New York        5:14   96   2:19
 42  Boston Express        Boston          8:05
 52  Easterner             Albany          8:32        7:40
 36  Genesee               New York       11:10


Arrivals-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 30  Iroquois              Buffalo        12:06
 46  Boston Special        Buffalo        12:39       12:41
 44  New York Special      Det.-Chicago    1:00       12:50
  6  Fifth Avenue Special  Chicago         1:40        1:23   64  12:40
 48  Detroiter             Detroit         2:03       (skip)
 82  Ontarian              Buffalo         2:08
  8  Wolverine             Det.-Chicago    3:05        3:25
 16  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      3:12        3:04
 98  New Eng. Wolverine    Buffalo         3:20
142  Cayuga                Buffalo         4:33
 28  New England States    Chicago        (skip)      (skip)  62   4:45
 10  Water Level Limited   Chicago         5:35
 24  Knickerbocker         St. Louis       6:20        6:28
 22  Lake Shore Limited    Chicago         8:32        6:43
  4                        Geneva-Roch.   10:25
 58  Niagara               Buffalo        10:45        2:27 am
 40  North Shore Limited   Det.-Chicago   11:43   38  10:08   70   8:45
 10                        Massena        12:01  610  11:15
158                        Buffalo        12:10
 38  Missourian            St. Louis      12:20   40  11:40
 90  Forest City           Chicago         1:48       12:58   72  12:45
 50  Empire State Express  Cleveland       4:00        3:55   74   4:45
 56  DeWitt Clinton        Buffalo         5:02   96   2:14
 12                        Geneva          6:40
140                        Rochester       6:45
 42  Boston Express        Buffalo         7:55
 52  Easterner             Chicago         8:20        7:16
  8                        Massena         8:35       10:20
336                        Oswego         10:35
 18                        Geneva-Roch.   11:20       10:25


Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.


DELAWARE LACKAWANNA & WESTERN

(Lackawanna Station)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

906                        Binghamton     11:40
903                        Oswego          5:15
910  Interstate Express    Binghamton      9:35        8:20 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

915  Interstate Express    Binghamton      9:55        8:55 am
906                        Oswego         11:25
903                        Binghamton      4:55


Passenger service discontinued in 1958.


STATIONS TODAY

In the early 1970's, an expressway was built where the 1936 railroad right of way had been. And Amtrak was using a station at 6627 Manlius Center Rd. in East Syracuse, on the former New York Central bypass route passing north of Syracuse. And the 1936 station became the Greyhound bus station.

In 1999, the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center opened north of Syracuse, replacing the East Syracuse railroad station and the Greyhound bus station. The 1936 station still stands, and is occupied by various businesses. The new intermodal station is located at 1 Walsh Circle.

The Lackawanna station still stands, and is occupied by various businesses.


MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.