Amtrak Extends for Two Additional Months Current Empire Service Levels Between Albany and New York City

Current schedule and service levels are now available until the end of April when service changes will occur to support critical tunnel rehabilitation project.

ALBANY – Amtrak today announced the extension of the expanded temporary Empire Service through Sunday, April 27. On Monday, April 28, the new spring schedule will take effect to allow Amtrak to rehabilitate the vital East River Tunnel in New York City, which was damaged in Superstorm Sandy. This schedule will provide 10 round trips between the Capital Region and New York City (NYC), and a fifth train car will be added to 28 trains per week, for certain trains traveling between NYC and Albany and between NYC and Niagara Falls, to provide more seating capacity.

Recognizing the popularity of Empire Service trains, Amtrak continues to collaborate with its state and commuter partners to evaluate the service plan, including the creation of additional seating capacity, and restoration or modification of service as construction progresses on the East River Tunnel project, if possible.

Amtrak President Roger Harris said, “Amtrak is committed to providing the best possible service to our Empire Service customers while we begin our critical work on the East River Tunnel used in this service. These significant upgrades will modernize critical infrastructure and ensure long-term improvements to the Empire Service and other Amtrak and commuter services for a better customer experience and more reliable trip.”

The tunnel project, a roughly three-year essential infrastructure improvement project and $1.6 billion investment for New York State, will improve train service reliability both within New York State and throughout the Northeast Corridor. It is a vital project that will restore two of the four tubes of the ERT that were badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. When complete, this project, as well as several others throughout the Northeast and nation, will benefit travelers and fortify our rail network for the first time in 100 years to last for the next 100 years.

Beginning Monday, April 28, Empire Service schedule changes include:

• 10 Daily Southbound Trains between Albany and NYC available
• 10 Daily Northbound Trains between NYC and Albany available
• Trains 238 & 235 will be suspended during construction
• A fifth train car will be added to 28 trains per week to certain trains between NYC and Albany and between NYC and Niagara Falls to provide more seating capacity
• Adirondack and Maple Leaf trains will combine into one train between NYC and Albany with an extended dwell time in Albany.
• Empire Service, Adirondack and Maple Leaf schedule times may adjust up to 30 minutes earlier or later, which will benefit riders seeking an earlier departure headed south to NYC and a later departure for the last northbound train.

Schedule times listed on Amtrak.com have been updated to reflect these changes for the current schedules and in April.

The state-supported Empire Service carried more than two million passengers in federal fiscal year 2024 and set all-time records for ridership and revenue.