NEW YORK — The United Railroad Historical Society’s popular Hudson River Rail Excursions are done — for the time being.
The last of the day trips between New York Penn Station and Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., billed as “Farewell (For Now),” ran Sunday, March 2 [see “East River tunnel work to sideline …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 27, 2025]. The trips — featuring former 20th Century Limited observation car Hickory Creek, NYC lounge car Swift Stream and tavern-lounge No. 43 — have been halted during Amtrak’s rehabilitation of the East River Tunnels, which will run through 2027. While that work is in progress, Amtrak has changed its Empire Service operations, running trains with locomotives at each end to avoid a trip to Sunnyside Yard for the trains to be turned. As a result, those trains can no longer accommodate the URHS cars at the end of the train.
The URHS has asked for public support for a request to Amtrak to revert to operations that would allow its cars to continue to run. In the meantime, the organization will still operate overnight excursions this summer, and is working to develop other excursions.
Of course, this is a stylish photo that significantly combines history and positive nostalgia. Thankfully, we are not yet facing the definitive end of the innovative URHS’ beloved Hudson River Rail Excursions!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
They need another Pullman to run with Hickory Creek for overnight service.