NEW YORK — Amtrak has extended its current level of Empire Service between New York City and upstate New York through April 27, the company has announced.
The current schedule, available at the Rail Passengers Association website, was put in place Dec. 2, 2024, and had been slated to last through March 2. The schedule responded to requests by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and members of the state’s congressional delegation to address cuts that had been made in preparation for work to rehabilitate two tubes of the East River Tunnel damaged by 2012’s Hurricane Sandy [see “Amtrak restores most Empire Service …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 22, 2024].
Amtrak now says a revised schedule will begin April 28, with 10 daily trains in each direction between New York and Albany. It will see suspension of train No. 238, an 11:40 a.m. departure from Albany, and train No. 235, a 3:15 p.m. departure from New York; an additional railcar added to 28 trains per week; combining of the Adirondack and Maple Leaf between New York and Albany; and schedule adjustments of up to 30 minutes.
“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,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a press release. “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.”
Problems with starting the East rive bore #1 work. With held funds soomehow??