New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Amtrak, and the New York State Department of Transportation announced the restoration of Amtrak’s Empire Service, which will aid passengers during the upcoming holiday and winter travel seasons. 

Following a letter sent by Gov. Hochul and others earlier this month urging Amtrak to take action, the railroad — in consultation with the New York State Department of Transportation — has agreed to restore nearly all of the trains that had been temporarily suspended in previously announced service modifications. 

Additionally, Amtrak has agreed to add additional cars to other Empire Service trains in order to further mitigate the disruption to passengers.

“Ensuring access to reliable train travel throughout this key corridor is critical to riders who utilize the service and to communities who benefit from the economic activity they generate,” said Gov. Hochul. “These service restorations are a huge victory for passengers who depend on the Empire Service and I thank Amtrak for working with us to ensure that we minimize to the fullest extent possible the schedule disruptions caused by the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project.”

Amtrak’s Empire Service

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. 

In October, Amtrak announced the decision to reduce service by two daily round trips between Albany and New York City and implemented additional operational modifications to the Maple Leaf and Adirondack lines while it undertakes a rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel, which was flooded during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. 

The state remains supportive of the project and its aim to address a state-of-good repair backlog on the Northeast Corridor. 

To address these impacts, Gov. Hochul sent a letter to Amtrak Executives urging them to consider the many mitigation alternatives proposed by stakeholders, including the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) who partially funds the service.

Steps to Restore Service

After reevaluating all possible options, and in collaboration with commuter partners that utilize Penn Station, Amtrak is enhancing the Empire Service schedule in effect during construction work impacting Amtrak’s terminal in New York City. 

Beginning Dec. 2, the new schedules will ensure that the trains used historically by more than 98% of Empire Service customers will be in service until Amtrak’s major tunnel work begins in the Spring. 

The measures will be effective through Mar. 2, 2025. 

Amtrak will continue to evaluate the service plan, including additional capacity, to see if there are any new possibilities for making improvements, restoring service, or modifying it based on future development.

Benefits of Future Upgrades

The tunnel work, an essential infrastructure improvement project and a $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.