Amtrak Empire Service Back In Time For Travel Season

Governor Kathy Hochul, Amtrak and the New York State Department of Transportation today announced a restoration of Amtrak’s Empire Service that will aid passengers during the upcoming holiday and winter travel seasons. Following a letter sent by Governor Hochul and others earlier this month urging Amtrak to take action, the railroad — in consultation with the New York State Department of Transportation — has agreed to restore nearly all of the trains that had been temporarily suspended in previously announced service modifications. Additionally, Amtrak has agreed to add additional cars to other Empire Service trains in order to further mitigate the disruption to passengers.

“Ensuring access to reliable train travel throughout this key corridor is critical to riders who utilize the service and to communities who benefit from the economic activity they generate,” Governor Hochul said. “These service restorations are a huge victory for passengers who depend on the Empire Service, and I thank Amtrak for working with us to ensure that we minimize to the fullest extent possible the schedule disruptions caused by the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project.”

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “It is vital that New Yorkers have access to dependable and convenient passenger rail service, especially as we head into the busy holiday season. I commend Governor Hochul’s commitment to always looking out for all New Yorkers — the users of our transportation systems statewide — she is always focused on safety and reliability for all New Yorkers, especially our rail riders. My thanks to Amtrak for working with us to find meaningful solutions that minimize the impacts on passengers and benefit everyone.”

Amtrak President Roger Harris said, “As part of our strong collaboration with Gov. Hochul, NYSDOT and others, and in accommodation with other important infrastructure projects in the region, beginning Monday, December 2, our new schedules will ensure that the trains used by more than 98% of customers will be in service until major tunnel work begins. The tunnel work, an essential infrastructure improvement project and a $1.6 billion investment for New York State, will improve train service reliability both within New York State and throughout the Northeast Corridor.”

The state-supported Empire Service carried more than two million passengers in federal fiscal year 2024 and set all-time records for ridership and revenue. In October, Amtrak announced the decision to reduce service by two daily round trips between Albany and New York City and implemented additional operational modifications to the Maple Leaf and Adirondack lines while it undertakes a rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel which was flooded during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The state remains supportive of the project and its aim to address a state-of-good repair backlog on the Northeast Corridor. To address these impacts, Governor Hochul sent a letter to Amtrak Executives urging them to consider the many mitigation alternatives proposed by stakeholders, including the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) who partially funds the service.

After reevaluating all possible options, and in collaboration with commuter partners that utilize Penn Station, Amtrak is enhancing the Empire Service schedule in effect during construction work impacting Amtrak’s terminal in New York City. Beginning Monday, December 2, the new schedules will ensure that the trains used historically by more than 98 percent of Empire Service customers will be in service until Amtrak’s major tunnel work begins in the Spring. This includes:

• The Adirondack and Maple Leaf will again operate as separate trains between New York City and Albany and allow for reduced wait times in Albany for Upstate customers.
• Trains 235 and 238 will be restored.
• Amtrak will add a fifth train car to the following trains: 233, 234, 235, 238, 244 and 245.

These measures will be effective through Sunday, Mar. 2, 2025. Amtrak will continue to evaluate the service plan, including additional capacity, to see if there are any new possibilities for making improvements, restoring service or modifying it based on future development.

The tunnel work, an essential infrastructure improvement project and a $1.6 billion investment for New York State, will improve train service reliability both within New York State and throughout the Northeast Corridor. It is a vital project that will restore two of the four tubes of the ERT that were badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. When complete, this project, as well as several others throughout the Northeast and nation, will benefit travelers and fortify our rail network for the first time in 100 years to last for the next 100 years.

Assemblymember John T. McDonald III said, “I appreciate Governor Hochul’s swift actions and interventions on this issue. My colleague Assemblymember Pat Fahy and I sent Amtrak a letter on this issue last month. Many of our colleagues made similar calls to minimize the impact on passengers during this critical infrastructure project. I appreciate the Governor and the Department of Transportation working with us toward solutions that will ensure that the concerns of our Capital Region residents and beyond are addressed.”

Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said, “Capital Region residents and New Yorkers will be thrilled to hear that nearly all reductions to Amtrak service will be restored until March 2025, with almost all trains running as originally scheduled and additional cars added for extra capacity. When these reductions were announced, Capital Region residents were rightly anxious — which is why I penned a letter to Amtrak urging them to reverse this decision or provide for additional cars alongside Assemblymember John McDonald. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership on this issue, Amtrak and the NYSDOT will consult and deliver further solutions that will offset the planned reductions in March. As a metro area with one of the nation’s busiest medium-sized rail stations, maintaining this service is vital to our economy and to providing affordable transit options for workers and families.”

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