Enhanced safety and health guidelines in place so customers can travel with confidence
NEW YORK – Amtrak has continued its partnership with the Great New York State Fair [1] as delicious food, eye-opening exhibits, captivating entertainment and fun games are just an Amtrak away. Between Friday, Aug. 20 and Monday, Sept. 6, Amtrak is resuming direct train service for customers travel to and from the Empire State’s largest annual event. In addition to health and safety measures onboard and in stations, including a mask requirement for passengers and employees, customers can experience a safe, convenient, cost-effective, and more comfortable way to travel to the Fair.
Skip tolls, traffic and parking fees, and arrive steps from the fairgrounds via select Empire Service (Trains 281, 283, and 284) and Maple Leaf (Trains 63 and 64) trains, which will make daily stops at the State Fair (in between stops at Rochester and Syracuse stations), adjacent to the Fairgrounds. The Amtrak station code for the New York State Fair is NYF.
Customers can save on their trip to the Fair with Amtrak’s See NY and Save [2] discount until Sunday, Sept. 5 when booking online at least five days in advance of travel or through Monday, Sept. 6 via everyday discounts [3] for kids, seniors, military groups and more. Tickets are available now at Amtrak.com [4], via the Amtrak mobile app, at station ticket counters or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. As always, customers will enjoy plenty of legroom, a generous luggage policy, and scenic routes. Amtrak also offers free Wi-Fi, the freedom to use phones and electronic devices at all times (no “airplane mode”).
Westbound daily trains originating in New York City at approximately 7:15 a.m., 10:20 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. will stop at the Fair at around 1:08 p.m. (Train 63), 4:08 p.m. daily (Train 281) and 7:02 p.m. (Train 283) respectively. Eastbound trains originating from Niagara Falls, NY at approximately 6:21 a.m. and 11:57 a.m. will stop at the Fair around 9:21 a.m. (Train 284) and 2:54 p.m. (Train 64) respectively, before continuing en route to Albany and New York City.
While traveling, customers can feel confident with the following safety measures Amtrak has implemented under the guidance of a medical director and partnership with George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health [5]:
- Face coverings: Federal law requires all customers and employees to wear a mask at all times while onboard trains and in stations, regardless of vaccination status or state or local laws. Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to penalties under federal law, denied boarding, removed from the train and banned from future travel in the event of noncompliance.
- Air Quality: Customers can travel with extra confidence knowing all our trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every four to five minutes.
- Real-time seat availability: Amtrak is no longer limiting capacity. When searching for travel, the percentage of seats sold displays next to each trip option and adjusts as more reservations are made, which gives customers the opportunity to book a train that is less crowded. If capacity exceeds comfort levels, customers can change their ticket without incurring a fee (a fare difference may apply).
- Fee waivers: Amtrak is waiving all change fees for reservations made by Sept. 6, 2021.
- Amtrak app: The Amtrak app makes contact-free travel easy. Customers can book, board, check train status and access information from the convenience and safety of a mobile device. Amtrak encourages boarding with eTickets, which conductors scan from the app.
Amtrak has been offering train service to the New York State Fair since 2002. The Great New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is hosted at a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year.