NFTA Metro Rail DL&W Station Grand Opening

On December 8, 2025 Buffalo NFTA Metro Rail officially opened a combined short line extension and a brand new (renovated from the 60s) train station. Ever the rail transit enthusiast that I happen to be, I self-commissioned, as Editor-in-Chief of BuffScan, time to go down and cover the pomp and circumstance of the grand opening myself.

I enjoyed the idea making a historical artifact of myself by being on the "first train" to use the station based on two definitions of "first." The first first is just the first non-construction related passenger train ride into the station which I call the "ceremonious " ride because this involves dignitaries and politicians - the sort of folks that always get to go first in the spirit of project completion and grand openings. This can be said to be the true first because of the clout behind the assertion all those politicians will enjoy saying that they were indeed on the first train into the new station. The fact they say it was first, makes it so.

However, the second first is the "real world" first which involves paying passengers and a train operating on a real schedule.

Both firsts are historic milestones which I shot for but only managed the former.

This video chronicles in crudely poor editing (BuffScan is still culling its videographer applicants) my trip that day. Enjoy!