Adirondack (train)

The Adirondack is an intercity rail passenger train operated daily along the Empire Corridor by Amtrak between New York City and Montreal. The trip takes approximately 11 hours to cover a published distance of 381 miles (613 km), traveling through the scenic Hudson Valley and the Adirondack Mountains.[2] The Adirondack operates as train 68 southbound, and as 69 northbound. The Adirondack service is financed by the New York State Department of Transportation.

Adirondack

The Adirondack at Saratoga Springs station in 2013
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Operating (truncated)
Predecessor	Laurentian (D&H)
First service	August 6, 1974
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Ridership	361 daily 132,000 total (FY12)[1]
Route
Start	New York
End	Montreal, Quebec
Distance travelled	381 miles (613 km)
Average journey time	11 hours
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	68 (southbound), 69 (northbound)
On-board services
Class(es)	Reserved coach
Catering facilities	Cafe/Lounge car
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet coaches
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Track owner(s)	Metro-North Railroad CSX Transportation Canadian Pacific Railway Cascade Investment Railway
Route map Dist. Station 0 mi 0 km Montreal Montreal Windsor Station pre-1986 4 mi 6 km Saint-Lambert Cantic 48 mi 77 km  Canada  USA 49 mi 79 km Rouses Point 72 mi 116 km Plattsburgh 85 mi 137 km Port Kent (seasonal) 112 mi 180 km Westport 123 mi 198 km Port Henry 140 mi 225 km Ticonderoga 162 mi 261 km Whitehall Ethan Allen Express to Rutland 184 mi 296 km Fort Edward 203 mi 327 km Saratoga Springs pre-1978 routing Mechanicville Watervliet-Colonie Empire Corridor 222 mi 357 km Schenectady 240 mi 386 km Albany–Rensselaer 268 mi 431 km Hudson 293 mi 472 km Rhinecliff–Kingston 309 mi 497 km Poughkeepsie 349 mi 562 km Croton–Harmon 367 mi 591 km Yonkers New York Grand Central pre-1991 Empire Connection Northeast Corridor to Washington 381 mi 613 km New York Penn Station Northeast Corridor to Boston

For most of its existence, the Adirondack has been plagued by numerous delays. Amtrak only owns or operates the southern leg of the route, from New York City to 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 (Canadian Pacific Railway) segment.[3]

During fiscal year 2015, the Adirondack carried over 132,345 passengers. The train had a total revenue of $7,453,664 during FY2015.[1]

History

The Adirondack at Saratoga Springs in 1980

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.[4][5] From the outset the train operated with financial support from the state of New York.[4] The train initially operated as a section of the New York–Buffalo Empire State Express.[6]

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.[7] 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 opened 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.[8] By early 2017, the United States Congress had passed its necessary enabling legislation.[9] The corresponding Canadian legislation was given royal assent in late 2017, though it is yet to enter into force.[10]

On April 10, 2018, Amtrak announced that all trains using the Empire Connection, excluding the Lake Shore Limited, will 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.[11]

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.[12]

In March 2020, Adirondack service north of Albany–Rensselaer was suspended indefinitely after all non-essential travel over the Canadian border was banned in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][14]

Route details

The Adirondack operates over Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak rails:[15]

• CN St-Hyacinthe Subdivision, Montreal to Saint-Lambert: 6.15 mi (9.90 km)
• CN Rouses Point Subdivision, Saint-Lambert to Rouses Point: 42.7 mi (68.7 km)
• CP Canadian Subdivision, Rouses Point to Ballston: 169.3 mi (272.5 km)
• CP Freight Subdivision, Ballston to Schenectady: 4.6 mi (7.4 km)
• CSX Hudson Subdivision, Schenectady to Poughkeepsie (trackage leased by Amtrak): 86.3 mi (138.9 km)
• Metro-North Hudson Line, Poughkeepsie to Spuyten Duyvil: 61.8 mi (99.5 km)
• Amtrak Empire Connection, Spuyten Duyvil to Penn Station 21.4 mi (34.4 km)

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 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) 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.

Station stops

State/Province	Town/City	Station	Connections/Notes
Québec	Montréal	Montreal	Exo (public transit): Deux-Montagnes Line, Mont-Saint-Hilaire Line, Mascouche Line STM Bus Routes: 36, 61, 74, 75, 107, 150, 168, 178, 410, 420, 430, 435, 715, 747 Montreal Metro lines: Orange Metro line Via Rail:Corridor, Ocean, Montreal – Jonquière train, Montreal – Senneterre train
	Saint-Lambert	Saint-Lambert	Exo (public transit): Mont-Saint-Hilaire Line RTL: 1, 6, 55, 106 Via Rail: Corridor, Ocean
Canada–United States border
New York	Rouses Point, New York	Rouses Point	none
	Plattsburgh	Plattsburgh	Clinton County Public Transit: route CCC / Shopper Shuttle, Grand Isle, Mall / Gov't Center Express Shuttle, Momot & Duken, Seton Express, North City, Saturday Shuttle, South City, West City, Ausable, Champlain / Rouses Point, Peru. All buses departed from nearby Government Center bus terminal.
	Port Kent	Port Kent	Lake Champlain Transportation: seasonal ferry service to Burlington, Vermont from May to October. Train stops only on days ferry operates.
	Westport	Westport	Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach: connection service to Lake Placid.
	Port Henry	Port Henry	none
	Ticonderoga	Ticonderoga	The Ticonderoga Ferry: seasonal ferry service to Shoreham, Vermont.
	Whitehall	Whitehall	none
	Fort Edward	Fort Edward-Glens Falls	Amtrak: Ethan Allen Express GGFT: 4, Train-Catcher Service
	Saratoga Springs	Saratoga Springs	Amtrak: Ethan Allen Express CDTA: NX Northway Xpress, 471, 472, 474
	Schenectady	Schenectady	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf
	Rensselaer	Albany–Rensselaer	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf CDTA: NX Northway Express, 14, 15, 24.
	Hudson	Hudson	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf
	Rhinecliff	Rhinecliff-Kingston	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf
	Poughkeepsie	Poughkeepsie	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf Dutchess LOOP: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie RailLink City of Poughkeepsie Transit: Main Street, Shoppers' Special UCAT Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
	Croton-on-Hudson	Croton–Harmon	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf Bee-Line: 10, 11, 14 Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
	Yonkers	Yonkers	Amtrak: Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf Bee-Line: 6, 9, 25, 32, 91 (seasonal service) Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
	New York City	Penn Station	Amtrak: Acela Express, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter LIRR: Main Line, Port Washington Branch NJ Transit: North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, Gladstone Branch, Montclair-Boonton Line, Morristown Line NYC Subway: 1, ​2, and ​3 A, ​C, and ​E trains NYC Transit buses: M4, M7, M20, M34 / M34A Select Bus Service, Q32

Equipment

D&H ALCO PAs in 1975.

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. Four D&H ALCO PA diesel locomotives hauled the 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.[16]

The Adirondack operates year-round with General Electric P42DC and P32AC-DM units and Amfleet passenger cars. A typical consist includes:

• 1 P42DC/P32AC-DM locomotive. The P32AC-DM operates between New York and Albany; the P42DC handles the remainder.[2]
• 1 Amfleet I cafe car[2]
• 2-4 Amfleet I coach cars[2]
• 2 Amfleet II coach cars[2]

Unlike other Empire Corridor trains, the Adirondack does not offer business class seating.[2]

See also

• Laurentian
• Montrealer
• Maple Leaf (Amtrak)

References

1. "Amtrak Sets New Ridership Record" (PDF). Amtrak. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
2. "ADIRONDACK". TrainWeb. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
3. Amtrak Route on-time performance for Adirondack service
4. "Montreal Train Run Commences Today". Schenectady Gazette. August 6, 1974. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
5. Burrs, Edward C. (August 6, 1974). "New York‐Albany‐Montreal Train Is Resumed With a Festive Air". New York Times.
6. "Historic Rail Service Resumption Set Today". The Post-Star. Glens Falls, New York. August 5, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved June 23, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Eric Anderson (October 18, 2011). "Amtrak leasing track corridor". Times-Union. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
8. Bowen, Douglas John (2012-05-11). "Customs relief in sight for Amtrak's Adirondack". RailwayAge.com. Retrieved 22 Jun 2012.
9. Anderson, Eric (2017-03-19). "Amtrak's Adirondack on track to benefit from customs legislation". Times Union. Albany. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
10. "House Government Bill C-23 (42-1)". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
11. "Most Hudson Line trains to Operate to/from Grand Central Terminal during Infrastructure and Bridge replacement Period" (Press release). Amtrak. April 10, 2018.
12. Summer 2019 infrastructure alert
13. "Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus" (Press release). Amtrak. 2020-03-24. Archived from the original on 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
14. Dickson, Jane (March 18, 2020). "Canada-U.S. border to close except for essential supply chains". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
15. Roberts, Earl W.; Stremes, David P., eds. (2012). Canadian Trackside Guide. Bytown Railway Society, Inc. ISSN 0829-3023.
16. Amtrak (August 5, 2014). "Celebrating 40 Years of the Adirondack". Retrieved 2014-08-05.

External links

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• Adirondack – Amtrak