Albany NY to Oakville ON on Amtrak Maple Leaf, customs questions

[Phil Richards]

Sites like Seat 61 give quite a good explanation of travelling from New York through to Toronto by Amtrak's Maple Leaf but focuses on joining at either end. I'm travelling from Albany NY to Oakville in the Spring and wonder what the check in process is given that in NY US domestic and cross-border passengers are handled separately? I'm assuming US CBP staff join the train before Niagara Falls NY station and carry out some sort of passport check? Important for me at least as I'll be entering the US on an ESTA so that will somehow need to be "marked off" as an exit as I'm flying back out of Toronto.

I'm clear on the Canadian side as all passengers have to disembark at Niagara Falls ON and go through Customs and passport checks. I already have a Canadian eTA from a previous trip this year.

Thanks
Phil Richards
London, UK

 

[zephyr17]

Sites like Seat 61 give quite a good explanation of travelling from New York through to Toronto by Amtrak's Maple Leaf but focuses on joining at either end. I'm travelling from Albany NY to Oakville in the Spring and wonder what the check in process is given that in NY US domestic and cross-border passengers are handled separately? I'm assuming US CBP staff join the train before Niagara Falls NY station and carry out some sort of passport check? Important for me at least as I'll be entering the US on an ESTA so that will somehow need to be "marked off" as an exit as I'm flying back out of Toronto.

I'm clear on the Canadian side as all passengers have to disembark at Niagara Falls ON and go through Customs and passport checks. I already have a Canadian eTA from a previous trip this year.

Thanks
Phil Richards
London, UK

1. Albany has a " normal" check in for all passengers. You will be probably be asked for a passport. Only NYP has the separate Canada check in desk. You may not even be given the stupid special luggage tags that no one, not CBSA, not CBP, cares about or looks at.
2. US CBP does not board the train and usually has nothing at all to do with the northbound/westbound train 63.
3. The crew will probably do a walk through of the train after Buffalo Exchange Street rechecking identification.
4. CBP and CBSA coordinate closely and their computer systems are interfaced. Your entry into Canada from the US will be automatically reported from CBSA to CBP and CBP will consider it an exit from the US.

Finally, while it nice you have a Canadian eTA, unlike the US ESTA, Canada does not require it for land entries.