The City of Wellsville received funding that would help pay for improvements at the Burlington-Northern Railroad train depot on Hudson Street.

BNSF Railway awarded a $10,000 grant to the city that would be applied toward the cost of a new roof and gutter system that are currently being installed on the facility.

Luke Wenz, Executive Director of Public Relations for BNSF Railway, presented the $10,000 award to Wellsville Alderperson Paula Adams, who is the city representative for the Depot Board. Adams said Wenz traveled from BNSF Railway’s headquarters in Omaha, Neb., to visit the depot.

“He said, ‘I’m going to be in your area. I would love to see the building and see what you’re doing.’ He took a lot of pictures,” Adams said. “He said we’re one of the few depots that are left on the old Burlington line. That’s why they wanted to preserve it and help with it.”

Adams said she and Wenz, who became BNSF’s Executive Director of Public Relations in August, talked about plans of the depot renovation during the 30-minute meeting.

“He went through everything we had,” Adams said. “We kind of talked over what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it. They said they wanted to give us the money to do it.”

Adams said the city was thrilled with BNSF Railway for its investment in the depot project since the depot is an important facility of Wellsville’s rich heritage.

“This is the best thing that has happened here (at Wellsville) in a long time,” Adams said.

The depot has been in its original location since 1981. The depot moved from the area that was nearby Wellsville-Middletown R-I School. The Montgomery County Historical Society owned the depot before handing it back to the City of Wellsville.

The depot plans to be open to the public during the Wellsville Halloween Parade on Oct. 31.

In September, the Wellsville Historical and Preservation Society received funds from Amazon and the MFA Foundation to help with the improvements on the depot. Amazon invested $12,000 and the MFA Foundation invested $5,000.

Adams said renovations of the depot have already started. The BNSF grant will pay for the roof and the money from Amazon and MFA will pay for the labor of the roof and gutters.

“We will be able to preserve the building and keep anything from getting any worse in it,” Adams said. “I’m really excited.”