Amtrak to Fully Restore Empire Service on New York–Albany Route in March; Metro-North Expansion Plan Put on Hold
Progga News Desk:
Full Amtrak train service between New York City and the state capital of Albany is set to resume in early March, restoring all previously suspended trips along the corridor. As a result, a proposed plan to temporarily extend Metro-North service from Grand Central Terminal to Albany has been put on hold.
The decision follows Amtrak’s agreement to reinstate three daily round trips on its Empire Service line. The trips were suspended last spring after one tube of the East River Tunnel was closed for rehabilitation work, creating service limitations on the route between New York Penn Station and Albany. At the time, three weekday round trips were canceled, causing significant inconvenience for commuters and other travelers.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she secured a commitment from Amtrak to fully restore service by March. In a statement, she said that all previously suspended and consolidated Empire Service trains operating between Penn Station and Albany-Rensselaer Station will return to regular schedules. The governor emphasized that minimizing passenger disruption during infrastructure improvement projects remains a top priority for the state.
Following the restoration announcement, Amtrak informed New York State officials and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that temporary authorization for Metro-North to operate service to Albany would no longer be necessary. However, Governor Hochul noted that a future expansion of Metro-North service north of Poughkeepsie—into the Hudson Valley and Capital Region—may still be considered if ridership demand increases.
Currently, Empire Service trains operate over Metro-North’s Hudson Line tracks between New York City and Poughkeepsie. North of Poughkeepsie, the rail line to Albany and onward to Niagara Falls is owned by freight railroad operator CSX Transportation, where Amtrak operates under trackage rights agreements.
Although rehabilitation work on the East River Tunnel remains ongoing, Amtrak officials declined to provide detailed comment on how full service restoration will be managed during the construction period.
The return of full service in March is expected to improve reliability and convenience for commuters, state employees, students, and tourists traveling along the busy New York–Albany corridor. Source: Hakikul Islam Khokon
