by Amtrak says these changes are the result of construction of Amtrak’s East River Tunnels which will take approximately 3 years.
Amtrak is cutting some of its routes between Albany and New York starting next month.
The total number of round trips will be reduced from 13 to 10 starting November 11. This is due to construction under the East River in Manhattan. Amtrak said it needed to replace some of the tunnels, and the trains they run from Albany use those tunnels to get to the rail yard in Queens.
The timetable change will result in the removal of two popular trains. The 8:20 a.m. train from New York to Albany and the 6:35 p.m. train from Albany to New York will both be eliminated with the new schedules. This change will leave a three-hour gap without train service from New York to Albany in the morning and from Albany to New York in the evening.
Amtrak said these planned changes are temporary and will last for approximately the next three years.
Amtrak said it does not plan to add more capacity to existing routes.
NewsChannel 13’s Zach Richter spoke with passengers at the Rensselaer station who said they were furious about the news.
“Why are they cutting the trains? » said Tim Ford. “You’re taking something that’s very manageable for the average person. It’s a lose-lose situation.
“I really don’t understand why Amtrak wouldn’t do everything they can to maintain capacity and seats during the transition they’re going through now,” said Elizabeth Crockett.
Amtrak will also combine Adirondack and Maple Leaf trains between Albany and New York as part of these service reductions.
At Albany, the northbound Adirondacks will have a nearly two-hour layover, extending trips to places like Saratoga and Schenectady. The southbound Maple Leaf will have a layover of about 90 minutes in Albany, making trips longer not from Schenectady, but from places like Amsterdam and Syracuse.
Amtrak said it will work with its host rail partners to determine whether it is possible to reduce this stopover.
