Adirondack (train)
The Adirondack is an intercity rail passenger train operated daily, partially along the Empire Corridor, by Amtrak between New York City and Montreal. The trip takes approximately 11 hours to cover a published distance of , traveling through the scenic Hudson Valley and along the eastern border of the Adirondack Mountains. The "Adirondack" operates as train 68 southbound, and as 69 northbound. The "Adirondack" service is financed by the New York State Department of Transportation. It is temporarily suspended as of March 2020 due to the closure of the Canadian/American border in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A  service resumption date has not yet been announced. For most of its existence, the "Adirondack" has been plagued by numerous delays. Amtrak only owns two legs of the route, in Manhattan and between Poughkeepsie and Schenectady. Additionally, the route crosses an international boundary where immigration procedures can take up to two hours. The on-time performance of the route averaged 64.8% for the year ending June 2016. According to Amtrak, 28.8% of the train delay was due to track- and signal-related problems, especially along the Delaware & Hudson segment, which is now owned by Canadian Pacific Railway. During fiscal year  2015, the "Adirondack" carried over 132,345 passengers. The train had a total revenue of $7,453,664 during FY2015. History. At the inception of Amtrak on May 1, 1971 the Delaware & Hudson operated two trains between Albany, New York and Montreal: the "Montreal Limited" (overnight) and the "Laurentian" (day). Both trains were discontinued, and for three years the D&H line saw no service. The "Adirondack" began running on August 6, 1974 (with a ceremonial train the previous day) from Grand Central Terminal in New York to Albany, then over the D&H's line to Windsor Station in Montreal. From the outset  the train operated with financial support from the state of New York. The train initially operated as a section of the New York–Buffalo "Empire State Express". Unlike the "Maple Leaf," which is operated by Via Rail crews in Canada, the "Adirondack" (like "Cascades" trains to Vancouver) is operated solely by Amtrak personnel. As part of an effort to improve on-time performance along the Empire Corridor, Amtrak reached an agreement with CSX to lease the CSX Hudson Subdivision between Poughkeepsie and Schenectady. Starting in 2012, Amtrak effectively took operational control of the Hudson Subdivision, handling all maintenance and capital  responsibilities. Even with this move, Amtrak still operates less than half of the trackage along the "Adirondack" route. In 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began planning a preclearance facility at Montreal Central Station, which would allow U. S. Customs and the Canada Border Services Agency to conduct prescreenings in Montreal. Under this plan, passengers arriving in Montreal would be processed by Canadian officials, while departing passengers would be screened by American personnel. Presently, the "Adirondack" must stop at Lacolle, Quebec northbound and Rouses Point, New York southbound for immigration procedures that can take up to two hours. By early  2017, the United States Congress had passed its necessary enabling legislation. The corresponding Canadian legislation was given royal assent in late 2017, though it is yet to enter into force. On April 10, 2018, Amtrak announced that all trains using the Empire Connection, excluding the "Lake Shore Limited", would operate into Grand Central Terminal from May 26 to September 4, 2018 to allow work on the Empire Tunnel, the Spuyten Duyvil movable bridge, and Track 19 in New York's Penn Station. Due to continuing infrastructure work at Penn Station, the northbound "Adirondack" ran combined with the northbound "Maple Leaf  for most of the summer of 2019, splitting in Albany. The two trains ran separately on weekends during July and August. In March 2020, the Adirondack" was truncated to Albany–Rensselaer after all non-essential travel across the Canada-United States border was banned in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, "Adirondack" service was suspended following the resumption of "Ethan Allen Express" service to Rutland, which overlaps with the "Adirondack" from New York City to immediately south of Whitehall. Trails & Rails. During select weekends throughout the year, the National Park Service's unit in New York City, the  National Parks of New York Harbor, offers their Trails & Rails program onboard the "Adirondack" that provides information on the history, ecology/biology, and related background of the areas traveled through onboard the route from New York City to Albany and Albany to New York City. This program is staffed entirely by the Park Service's Volunteers-In-Parks (VIPs), each of whom utilizes their individual research and experiences to present a unique program, as well as standard information about the common sights of the trip. Route details. The "Adirondack" operates over Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Metro -North Railroad and Amtrak rails: The "Adirondack" used CP Rail's Windsor Station until January 12, 1986, when it was rerouted to CN Rail's Central Station. Until the Empire Connection was built in 1991, the train served Grand Central Terminal instead of Penn Station in New York City. There is a short distance of track between Albany and Schenectady that allows for operations. Northbound trains leave New York just after the morning rush, arriving in the Capital District at lunchtime, crossing the Canadian border after the afternoon rush and arriving in Montreal in early evening. Southbound trains leave Montreal  in mid-morning, cross into the United States at lunchtime, and arrive in New York in the evening. During the spring, summer and early fall, ferries from Burlington, Vermont stop at Port Kent station. Equipment. The "Adirondack" debuted in 1974 with D&H equipment, much of it ex-"Laurentian", as Amtrak was experiencing equipment shortages. These were supplemented by a pair of Skyline dome cars leased from the Canadian Pacific Railway. Two D&H ALCO PA diesel locomotives hauled each train. On March 1, 1977, new Turboliner gas turbine trainsets took over from the D&H cars. Conventional Amtrak equipment would eventually displace the  Turboliners. The "Adirondack" operates year-round with General Electric P42DC and P32AC-DM units and Amfleet passenger cars. A typical consist includes: Unlike other Empire Corridor trains, the "Adirondack" does not offer business class seating.