Ethan Allen Express

The Ethan Allen Express is a 241-mile (388 km) higher-speed passenger train service operated by Amtrak between New York City and Rutland, Vermont via Albany, New York. The scheduled total trip time is 5.5 hours. Operations are subsidized by the states of Vermont and New York, and the train is popular among vacationers travelling to the ski resort area of Killington, Vermont. The Ethan Allen Express is named for the American Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen. Between Penn Station and Schenectady, it operates along the Empire Corridor, a federally-designated high-speed rail corridor.

Ethan Allen Express

Rutland-bound train #291 entering Croton Harmon Station, August 12, 2008
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Operating (truncated)
Locale	Vermont
First service	December 1996
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Ridership	50,717 total (2016)[1]
Route
Start	New York City
Stops	12
End	Rutland, Vermont
Distance travelled	241 miles (388 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	290, 296 (southbound); 291, 293 (northbound)
On-board services
Class(es)	Business class and reserved coach
Seating arrangements	Airline-style coach seating
Catering facilities	On-board cafe
Baggage facilities	Carry-on only
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet coaches
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	Up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
Track owner(s)	Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad Canadian Pacific Railway CSX Transportation Metro-North Railroad Amtrak
Route map Burlington Vergennes Middlebury proposed extension 0 mi 0 km Rutland 9 mi 14 km Castleton 14 mi 23 km Fair Haven (closed) Poultney River Vermont New York Adirondack to Montreal 44 mi 71 km Fort Edward Hudson River 63 mi 101 km Saratoga Springs Mohawk River Empire Corridor 82 mi 132 km Schenectady Hudson River 100 mi 161 km Albany–Rensselaer Lake Shore Limited to Boston South Station 128 mi 206 km Hudson 153 mi 246 km Rhinecliff–Kingston 169 mi 272 km Poughkeepsie 209 mi 336 km Croton–Harmon 227 mi 365 km Yonkers Hudson Line to Grand Central Terminal 241 mi 388 km New York City Northeast Corridor to Boston South Station Detailed diagram showing all road crossings Burlington Vergennes Middlebury proposed extension 0 mi 0 km Rutland US 4 (Business) US 4 VT 4A 9 mi 14 km Castleton 14 mi 23 km Fair Haven VT 22A VT 4A US 4 Poultney River Vermont New York Adirondack to Montreal 44 mi 71 km Fort Edward Hudson River NY 32 I-87 US 9 NY 9N 63 mi 101 km Saratoga Springs NY 50 NY 67 NY 146A Mohawk River Empire Corridor 82 mi 132 km Schenectady NY 5 I-787 Hudson River 100 mi 161 km Albany–Rensselaer US 9/ US 20 Lake Shore Limited to Boston South Station New York Thruway 128 mi 206 km Hudson NY 23 NY 199 153 mi 246 km Rhinecliff–Kingston US 44/ NY 55 169 mi 272 km Poughkeepsie I-84/ NY 52 209 mi 336 km Croton–Harmon I-87 / I-287 / New York Thruway 227 mi 365 km Yonkers Hudson Line to Grand Central Terminal 241 mi 388 km New York City Northeast Corridor to Boston South Station

History

The Ethan Allen Express at Rutland in 2001

In April 1995, the Montrealer was shifted to daytime operation, cut back to St. Albans, and renamed as the Vermonter, providing daytime service to eastern and central Vermont for the first time since 1966.[2] The western part of the state then advocated for rail service to Rutland as well. $4.7 million in federal funds was secured to upgrade the former Delaware and Hudson Railway Whitehall Branch between Whitehall and Rutland for passenger speeds.[3] Service was initiated on December 2, 1996.[4] This was the first passenger service to Rutland since the Rutland Railroad ended its Burlington–New York City service in 1953, and the first passenger service on the Whitehall Branch since 1936.[3]

The Ethan Allen Express began with stops in Rutland, Fort Edward, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany–Rensselaer, Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton, Yonkers and New York City.[5] A stop at Fair Haven was added in November 1997.[6]

Until May 2002, the train included a baggage car for skis and unboxed bicycles as well as checked baggage.

In October 2008, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) proposed eliminating the Ethan Allen Express and replacing it with a bus citing budgetary restrictions. The proposal was rejected by a legislative committee.[7] VTrans again proposed ending service in January 2009; two hundred people rallied at Rutland station against the proposed cut.[8] Rail advocates, led by the Vermont Rail Action Network[9] and local political leaders[10] organized to fight the cut and plans to drop the service were abandoned.[11]

On January 2, 2010, the Ethan Allen Express began stopping at Castleton. Service to Fair Haven ended on January 9.[12]

On February 23, 2011, VTrans began an investigation into the Vermont Rail System's (VRS) handling of the Ethan Allen Express between Whitehall, New York and Rutland after Amtrak notified the state that track conditions meant the train was frequently delayed. Amtrak evaluated the line as the worst in the nation.[13] During the summer of 2011, VRS conducted work to improve the track in question, planned to result in an eighteen-minute reduction in travel time by the end of the year, with additional work planned for the summer of 2012.[14] The project was funded by both the railroad and the state of New York at a cost of $3.25 million, and involved rebuilding about 8 miles (13 km) of track and eight grade crossings.[14] By February 2012, the trackwork had resulted in a 15-minute southbound and 25-minute northbound reduction in travel time between Rutland and Whitehall, while the total time the Ethan Allen Express operated behind schedule fell to 135 minutes in December 2011, from 11,068 minutes a year earlier.[15]

All trains using the Empire Connection, excluding the Lake Shore Limited operated 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.[16]

In April 2020, Ethan Allen Express service north of Albany–Rensselaer was suspended indefinitely as part of a round of service reduction in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.[17]

Extension to Burlington

Union Station in Burlington, Vermont will be the northern terminus of the Ethan Allen Express beginning around 2021-22

There have been plans to extend the Ethan Allen from Rutland to Burlington since at least 2000.[18] The last passenger service between the cities was in 1953 on the Rutland Railroad's Green Mountain Flyer and Mount Royal.[2]

In 2005, a $30 million earmark was obtained by Senator Jim Jeffords to, in part, fund the extension. Of this, $19 million remained by 2011, the balance having been used for other projects such as a new spur for freight traffic.[18][19]

Advocates, led by chambers of commerce and the Vermont Rail Action Network, renewed the push for an extension to Burlington.[20] They believed that service to Burlington would secure the long-term sustainability of the service by generating much more ridership than Rutland is capable of.[21]

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) applied for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds to rebuild the tracks between Rutland and Burlington to passenger standards (59 mph (95 km/h)).[22] While the initial application was not approved, the state subsequently entered a second US$70 million application for similar grants,[23] and later a third, all of which were rejected.[19]

In 2013, the extension received additional funding via a $9 million grant from the fifth round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER V) program to pay for the replacement of jointed rail with continuously welded rail.[24] In October 2015, the Vermont Agency of Transportation was awarded a $10 million TIGER 2015 grant to rehabilitate 11 miles of track, add a wye in Rutland, add crossovers and passing sidings, and install passenger platforms in Middlebury, Vergennes, and Burlington. These improvements will result in increased speeds of up to 40 mph (64 km/h) for freight and 60 mph (97 km/h) for passenger trains between Rutland and Burlington.[25]

In October 2015, VTrans said that service to Burlington would begin in three to four years.[26] Service is currently expected to start in 2021. When it starts, it is anticipated that the train will arrive in Burlington in the evening and depart in the morning. Middlebury has hired a consultant to study locations for its station, while Burlington hired a consultant to study where the train should be parked overnight.[27][28] The train storage issue has been resolved with the decision to store trains overnight to the south of the station. The trains will be stored in the Vermont Rail System yard.[29]

Route details

The Ethan Allen Express operates over trackage owned by the following railroads:

• Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad: Rutland, Vermont–Whitehall, New York
• Canadian Pacific Railway: Whitehall–Schenectady, New York
• CSX Transportation (Hudson Subdivision): Schenectady–Poughkeepsie, New York
• Metro-North Railroad (Hudson Line): Poughkeepsie–Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx, New York City
• Amtrak (Empire Connection): Spuyten Duyvil–New York Penn Station

The Ethan Allen Express meets the performance speeds of higher-speed rail. Between Albany and Schenectady, New York, CSX Transportation's Hudson Subdivision allows for speeds of up to 110 mph (180 km/h).

Equipment

In the 2010s a typical Ethan Allen Express had three-four Amfleet passenger cars, an Amfleet business class car, and an Amfleet cafe car, with the train being pulled by a GE P32AC-DM dual-mode locomotive.[30]

Station stops

Mile (km)	Station	Location	Began service	Connections
0 (0)	Rutland	Rutland, VT	December 2, 1996[31]
9 (14)	Castleton	Castleton, VT	January 2, 2010[32]	MVRTD "The Bus": Fair Haven-Rutland Connector
44 (71)	Fort Edward–Glens Falls	Fort Edward, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack GGFT: 4, Train-Catcher Service
63 (101)	Saratoga Springs	Saratoga Springs, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack CDTA: NX Northway Xpress, 471, 472 Saratoga and North Creek Railway
82 (132)	Schenectady	Schenectady, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf
100 (160)	Albany–Rensselaer	Rensselaer, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf CDTA: 214, 24 Megabus: M27 Vermont Translines: Vermont Shires Connector
128 (206)	Hudson	Hudson, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Maple Leaf
153 (246)	Rhinecliff–Kingston	Rhinecliff, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Maple Leaf
169 (272)	Poughkeepsie	Poughkeepsie, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Maple Leaf Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line City of Poughkeepsie Transit: Main Street Dutchess County LOOP: Poughkeepsie RailLink
209 (336)	Croton–Harmon	Croton-on-Hudson, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line Bee-Line: 10, 11, 14
227 (365)	Yonkers	Yonkers, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Maple Leaf Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line Bee-Line: 6, 9, 25, 32, 91 (seasonal)
241 (388)	New York Penn Station	New York, NY	December 2, 1996[31]	Amtrak: Acela Express, Adirondack, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter Long Island Rail Road: Main Line, Port Washington Branch NJ Transit Rail: North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, Gladstone Branch, Montclair-Boonton Line, Morristown Line New York City Subway: 1, ​2, ​3, A, ​C, and ​E trains New York City Bus: M7, M20, M34, M34A, Q32

References

1. "Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue Fact Sheet" (PDF). Amtrak. April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
2. Lindsell, Robert M. (2000). The Rail Lines of Northern New England. Branch Line Press. pp. 35–46, 175. ISBN 0942147065.
3. Lloyd, Barbara (December 19, 1996). "Train Trip to Vermont Offers Some of the Fun". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
4. "In Amtrak History" (PDF). Amtrak Ink. 18 (11). December 2013.
5. "Amtrak Northeast Timetable". Amtrak. November 10, 1996. p. 24 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
6. "Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Fall/Winter 1997-98". Amtrak. October 26, 1997 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
7. "Ethan Allen Safe...Until January". December 18, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
8. Hirschfeld, Peter; Peters, Stephanie M. (January 20, 2009). "Amtrak rally draws 200 people". Rutland Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
9. "2009 Vermont Rail Action Network Accomplishments". Vermont Rail Action Network. November 25, 2009. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
10. Peters, Stephanie M. (January 10, 2009). "State panel, county delegation speak against Amtrak bus service". Rutland Herald.
11. Hirschfield, Peter (February 26, 2009). "Official softens stance on Amtrak". Rutland Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
12. "AMTRAK ETHAN ALLEN EXPRESS TO PROVIDE SERVICE AT RENOVATED CASTLETON, VERMONT DEPOT" (PDF) (Press release). Amtrak. December 29, 2009.
13. "Amtrak ranks Vermont last as worst railroad". The Burlington Free Press. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
14. "Vermont Rail System posts progress on trackwork for Amtrak's Ethan Allen service". Progressive Railroading. August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
15. "Vermont Rail System's bolstered track improves Amtrak transit times". Progressive Railroading. February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
16. "Most Hudson Line trains to Operate to/from Grand Central Terminal during Infrastructure and Bridge replacement Period" (Press release). Amtrak. April 10, 2018.
17. "Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus" (Press release). Amtrak. April 6, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
18. "Critics question whether money for rail in western Vermont is being well spent". Vermont Public Radio. May 15, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
19. "To Rutland by train: 68 miles and many millions of dollars". The Burlington Free Press. August 21, 2011. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
20. "Chambers push for revitalized rail system". Rutland Herald. March 24, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
21. "Extending the Ethan Allen To Burington". Vermont Rail Action Network. July 29, 2008. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
22. Hirschfeld, Peter (December 28, 2009). "Rutland to Burlington state rail service tied to stimulus". Barre Montpelier Times Argus. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
23. "State Will Re-Submit Application to Rebuild Track for Ethan Allen to Burlington". Vermont Rail Action Network. April 21, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
24. "USDOT announces $474 million in TIGER V grants". Progressive Railroading. September 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
25. "TIGER 2015 Awards" (PDF). United States Department of Transportation. p. 40.
26. Mansfield, Erin (October 27, 2015). "Vermont lands $10 million to finish Rutland to Burlington passenger rail". VT Digger. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
27. Flowers, John (April 30, 2018). "Middlebury begins search for passenger rail platform". Addison County Independent. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
28. Dawson, Cory (December 15, 2017). "Waterfront denizens to Amtrak: stop but don't stay". VTDigger. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
29. Walsh, Molly (March 12, 2020). "Amtrak Trains Will Be Kept in the Rail Yard in Burlington". Seven Days.
30. Vermont Agency of Transportation (January 2010). "Passenger Rail Equipment Options for the Amtrak Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express" (PDF). Vermont Legislature. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
31. "In Amtrak History" (PDF). Amtrak Ink. 18 (11). December 2013.
32. "AMTRAK ETHAN ALLEN EXPRESS TO PROVIDE SERVICE AT RENOVATED CASTLETON, VERMONT DEPOT" (PDF) (Press release). Amtrak. December 29, 2009.

External links

• Ethan Allen Express – Amtrak
• Vermont Rail Action Network