ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has joined other elected officials in calling for Amtrak to revise Empire Service schedule changes resulting from the start of East River Tunnel repairs.
In a Nov. 13 letter to Amtrak Board Chair Anthony Coscia and CEO Stephen Gardner, Hochul, a Democrat, said Empire Service trains “are receiving a disproportionate share of impacts and it is critical that you maximally restore service and protect New York’s public while the project progresses.” The letter notes alternative by state Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez including operating some trains to Grand Central Terminal or expanding New York-Albany trains to six cars.
As of Nov. 10, Amtrak reduced Empire Service round trips from 10 to eight while also combining the Adirondack and Maple Leaf into one train between New York and Albany [see “Adirondack operating indifference continues: Analysis,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 10, 2024].
Seven Republican members of New York’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives previously asked Amtrak President Roger Harris to delay the schedule changes [see “Legislators’ letter calls for Amtrak to delay changes …,” News Wire, Nov. 3, 2024]. That group included U.S. Rep Elise Stafanick, named earlier this week by President-elect Donald Trump as his nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
