Schenectady

Bids for the final phase of the reconstruction of the downtown Schenectady train station will be opened Oct. 19, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The project last year was broken into two phases, with the first bid — for demolition of the existing station, plus platform concrete work and new culverts — awarded to Latham-based Bette & Cring, at $5,409,091, the lowest of the three bids received.

The second bid includes construction of the new train station and parking lot, plus installation of an elevator. Most of the work will take place during 2018, with the station set for completion next October.

Total cost of the project has been estimated at $23.5 million.

The station will replace a building dating from 1979 that had fallen into disrepair. The new station contains architectural features reminiscent of the original station at the site, the Schenectady Union Station, which was built in 1908 and demolished in 1971.

An upgraded design unveiled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo during an appearance in Schenectady in July included a wraparound awning outside the building, a weather vane in the shape of New York state on top of a gold dome on the roof, and tall arched windows similar to those in the original Union Station.

The station is the latest improvement to the Empire Corridor, the rail line that runs from New York City up the Hudson to Albany and then west along the Mohawk Valley to Buffalo.

Last week, state officials opened a new trains station for Rochester, and earlier this year, a long-sought second track along the main line between Albany and Schenectady was reinstalled, decades after it had been ripped out when the heyday of rail travel was thought to be past.

Other improvements along the corridor include improved signals and safety improvements at highway crossings. Amtrak also has announced plans to refurbish its aging fleet of Amfleet single-level rail passenger cars with new seats, carpeting and other amenities. Many of the cars have been in service for four decades.