For the first time since 1985, Metro Rail riders in Buffalo have a new place to go. On December 8, 2025, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority opened the DL&W Station at the historic Delaware, Lackawanna and Western trainshed along South Park Avenue — the first extension to the Buffalo Metro Rail system in 40 years. The station is the initial phase of a broader, multi-phase $60 million renovation of the landmark terminal that will reshape Buffalo's downtown waterfront over the next several years.

The opening marks the completion of significant infrastructure work, but it is far from the end of the story. In 2026, the NFTA plans to add a pedestrian skybridge connecting the station directly to the 100 Level of KeyBank Center, open the terminal's second floor as a public event and destination space, install a truck elevator for food truck access, and complete extensive exterior restoration work, according to the NFTA's own capital improvement page.

What the Station Means for Downtown Buffalo

The DL&W Station provides light rail access to the Canalside, Cobblestone District, and KeyBank Center area — a cluster of Buffalo's most active entertainment, recreation, and development zones. Prior to the station's opening, this corner of the waterfront had no direct Metro Rail connection, requiring visitors to park or walk from the nearest existing stops.

"This station is far more than a new stop on our system," said NFTA Executive Director Kimberley Minkel at the December ribbon cutting. "It's an investment in the future of our region — expanding access, strengthening economic development, creating new opportunities for residents and businesses alike. And we're just getting started."

The WKBW report on the opening described the station as a $57 million project, with the remainder of the overall renovation program covering the pedestrian bridge, second-floor improvements, and exterior refurbishment. The station building incorporates upgraded boarding platforms, accessibility improvements, and restored architectural elements of the original historic trainshed.

The Skybridge and Second-Floor Plans

The pedestrian connection to KeyBank Center has been one of the most anticipated elements of the entire DL&W project. An external stair tower and enclosed overhead skybridge will link the station's second floor directly to the arena's 100 Level, allowing concertgoers and sports fans to arrive via Metro Rail and enter the building without stepping outside — a meaningful quality-of-life improvement in Buffalo winters.

Construction of the stair tower began in late 2022. NFTA's Metro Rail renewal page confirms that the external stair tower and pedestrian bridge are expected to be completed in 2026. The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency approved a formal easement for the bridge construction in January 2026. Rob Minter, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the Buffalo Sabres, described the skybridge as a major advantage for the arena, which aims to grow annual programming to 200 events.

"Ingress and egress, coming and going to the arena, is a big part of that," Minter said. "This is just another opportunity and resource for people to come downtown. And, obviously, the bridge connecting it is going to be a huge advantage for us and very positive."

The terminal's second floor encompasses nearly 50,000 square feet of outdoor deck space and approximately 130,000 square feet of indoor area — roughly equivalent to three large grocery stores side by side. The NFTA is investing $30 million in second-floor infrastructure including the outdoor deck, base building systems, and vertical access. A new request for proposals for a private developer to program and activate the space is expected, following the NFTA's termination of its previous agreement with developer Sam Savarino in late 2025, according to NHL.com/Sabres reporting.

A Multi-Phase, Multi-Year Construction Program

The DL&W project illustrates how major civic infrastructure often unfolds in urban markets: in carefully sequenced phases, each dependent on the one before it. Phase 1 — the Metro Rail station — involved significant structural stabilization of the historic trainshed, platform construction, life-safety systems, accessibility improvements, and systems integration with the existing Metro Rail line. That work is complete and the station is in daily revenue service.

Phase 2 — the skybridge, outdoor deck, exterior refurbishment, and event space activation — is now active, with construction work in progress in 2026. A Phase 3 will refurbish the Empire State Trail segment along the Buffalo River adjacent to the terminal, extending the trail network and improving pedestrian access along the waterfront, according to the DL&W project timeline.

Beyond that, the second-floor private development program — when a new developer is selected — will bring restaurants, a public market, cultural venues, and commercial spaces to a building that has been largely vacant for generations. Previous public market concepts for the space called for daily food vendors, a grocery component, performance venues, flexible event space, and outdoor programming from the upper deck overlooking the Buffalo River.

Historical and Regional Context

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad once connected Buffalo to the broader northeastern rail network, and the trainshed was a central node in that system. Its revival as a transit hub and public destination represents a broader shift in how Buffalo's waterfront districts are being repositioned — not just as tourism zones but as functional, year-round neighborhoods served by transit.

For the construction sector, the project represents a sustained pipeline of trade work at a single landmark site over several years. The DL&W's location at the convergence of the waterfront, Canalside, and the Cobblestone District also makes it one of the more strategically consequential development sites in Buffalo's current landscape. When the skybridge and second-floor public space open later in 2026, the terminal will shift from a construction site to a daily destination — the kind of transformation that tends to attract adjacent investment and accelerate a surrounding district's development.

Sources

DL&W Station Capital Improvement Page — NFTA, 2025
NFTA Cuts the Ribbon on New DL&W Station — WKBW, December 9, 2025
Newly Opened DL&W Metro Rail Station to Increase Access to KeyBank Center — NHL.com/Sabres, December 8, 2025
Project Progress — DL&W Buffalo, 2025
Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency Minutes — January 22, 2026