Amtrak will be extending its expanded temporary Empire Service until April 27. The new spring schedule will take effect on April 28, to allow Amtrak to rehabilitate the East River Tunnel in New York City, which was damaged in Superstorm Sandy. This schedule will provide 10 round trips between the Capital Region and New York City (NYC). A fifth train car will be added to 28 trains per week for certain trains traveling between NYC and Albany and between NYC and Niagara Falls, to provide more seating capacity.
Adirondack and Maple Leaf trains will combine into one train between NYC and Albany with an extended dwell time in Albany.
Empire Service, Adirondack and Maple Leaf schedule times may adjust up to 30 minutes earlier or later, which will benefit riders seeking an earlier departure headed south to NYC and a later departure for the last northbound train.
Amtrak says it will continue to collaborate with its state and commuter partners to evaluate the service plan, including the creation of additional seating capacity and restoration or modification of service as construction progresses on the East River Tunnel project, if possible.
“Amtrak is committed to providing the best possible service to our Empire Service customers while we begin our critical work on the East River Tunnel used in this service,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “These significant upgrades will modernize critical infrastructure and ensure long-term improvements to the Empire Service and other Amtrak and commuter services for a better customer experience and more reliable trip.”
The tunnel project, a roughly three-year essential infrastructure improvement project and $1.6 billion investment for New York State, will work to improve train service reliability both within New York State and throughout the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak says this is a vital project that will restore two of the four tubes of the East River Tunnel that were badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
