Resumption of Amtrak service to Canada (2022-2023 Q2)

[west point]

Vancouver service cancelled today reported track closure.

As of 6:12 AM PT: Due to track closures between Seattle (SEA) and Vancouver (VAC), Cascades Train 516 and Train 519 are now canceled. For further assistance, please call/text 1-800-USA-RAIL.

 

[JWM]

Article on Friday in the Albany "Times Union" confirms start on April 3. Montreal "Gazette" also confirms that date as well. The only "official" word will come from Amtrak. Now if both customs and immigration will have passengers clear at Montreal Central Station, the time would but down as well. See above.

 

[zephyr17]

Okay, here's a question that is only tangentially related to service resumption to Canada, so mods should feel free to move it.

How is the Canada check in done in Moynihan? I've done it in Penn before Moynihan, and it was an entirely separate process from lining up to board, although Canada bound passengers has to show they'd done it. Is it the same process as it was in Penn? Find the Canada desk, check in, and receive the border crossing luggage tags, then line up to board separately?

The reason I am asking is I will be taking the Maple Leaf in the Fall and want to get a Red Cap (mostly to jump the rush and get my pick of seats ).

Not looking to restart any discussion of whether or not it is necessary or a power trip by Amtrak gate dragons or the utility of those luggage tags. Just want to know the current process in Moynihan.

 

[Amtrak25]

My follow up question, is there still such a parallel process occuring in legacy Penn Station, like for those of us who come in on NJT and don't feel like schlepping to Moynihan ?

It is still otherwise permissable to board Amtrak there and such trains are posted and announced.

 

[demonizedwater]

If there's a special Canadian boarding process in Penn Station, how does boarding the Canadian-bound trains work at intermediate stops, where there may only be 1-2 minutes of time?

 

[jis]

If there's a special Canadian boarding process in Penn Station, how does boarding the Canadian-bound trains work at intermediate stops, where there may only be 1-2 minutes of time?

You just board. The Conductor checks the paperwork on board.

 

[fhussain44]

Any guestimate on when service to Montreal will resume? Tried a few different dates in April and keep getting:

This trip cannot be booked. We do not have any travel options between the stations entered. (Ref.VTJTOZPQ)

Maybe I am doing something wrong in the search.., entering NYP -> MTR

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

You are not doing anything wrong. The NYS news stations are reporting that the Adirondack is starting full service again on April 3. The NYS senators have said the same thing.

Everyone seems to know except Amtrak itself.

 

[fdaley]

Every politician in the region has issued a press release saying the service will resume on April 3, so I expect there'll be hell to pay if it doesn't. However, it's still not loaded into Amtrak's reservation system with just two weeks to go. I would guess that will happen sometime between now and April 2.

 

[jis]

You are not doing anything wrong. The NYS news stations are reporting that the Adirondack is starting full service again on April 3. The NYS senators have said the same thing.

Everyone seems to know except Amtrak itself.

Or what is more likely is that all required steps have not been completed to formally publish a schedule and open up ticketing. A target date of April 3 has been published, but that does not mean it will necessarily be met.

Since American politicians making announcements do not have any control over Canadian and Quebecois outfits involved, they can announce all that they want. It will happen when all the ducks actually get lined up.

 

[fdaley]

Or what is more likely is that all required steps have not been completed to formally publish a schedule and open up ticketing. A target date of April 3 has been published, but that does not mean it will necessarily be met.

Since American politicians making announcements do not have any control over Canadian and Quebecois outfits involved, they can announce all that they want. It will happen when all the ducks actually get lined up.

Somehow I'm envisioning a bunch of francophone ducks who aren't responding to herding even as Elise Stefanik is shouting at them.

 

[Amtrak25]

So many steps involved:

• CN says come on in,
• EXO contract is signed for use of their track (last mile into Gare Central),
• VIA will service the train in their yard
• VIA assigns a ticket agent to the Amtrak window,
• NYS DOT money flows,
• Amtrak rounds up 6 more Amfleet cars,
• US Customs will do onboard inspections (kicking and screaming), plucked out of their highway palace,
• CBSA will do onboard inspections (kicking and screaming), plucked out of their highway palace,
• Huge migration surge at the unauthorized border crossing 8 miles west at Roxham Road.

 

[jiml]

So many steps involved:

• CN says come on in,
• EXO contract is signed for use of their track (last mile into Gare Central),
• VIA will service the train in their yard
• VIA assigns a ticket agent to the Amtrak window,
• NYS DOT money flows,
• Amtrak rounds up 6 more Amfleet cars,
• US Customs will do onboard inspections (kicking and screaming), plucked out of their highway palace,
• CBSA will do onboard inspections (kicking and screaming), plucked out of their highway palace,
• Huge migration surge at the unauthorized border crossing 8 miles west at Roxham Road.

Yeah, that about sums it up.

 

[Amtrak25]

It can now be booked !. Just noticed at 2pm EDT.

Compared to 2019:

Departs NYP 840am (was 815am)
Departs ALB 1140am (was 1110am)
Depart Rouses 433pm (was 405pm)
Arrive Montreal 816pm(was 711pm)

Depart Montreal 1110am (was 1020am)
Depart Rouses 215pm (was 1255pm)
Arrive Albany 700pm (was 557pm)
Arrive NYP 1015pm (was 850pm)

 

[thully]

The return of the Adirondack is official now:

https://media.amtrak.com/2023/03/am...rail-canada-fully-restore-adirondack-service/
It’s now bookable starting April 3, which is in fact when it will be resuming.

 

[JWM]

Sadly, almost 12 hours from NYP to MTL. Almost two hours longer than in 1952.

 

[JWM]

Somehow I'm envisioning a bunch of francophone ducks who aren't responding to herding even as Elise Stefanik is shouting at them.

Maybe more like Canada geese. We can only hope that customs clearance will now get top priority for Central Station in Montreal. The stop at St. Lambert can be skipped, and travel time will be reduced. Upgrading that line to the U.S. border would help as well.

 

[jis]

It can now be booked !. Just noticed at 2pm EDT.

Compared to 2019:

Departs NYP 840am (was 815am)
Departs ALB 1140am (was 1110am)
Depart Rouses 433pm (was 405pm)
Arrive Montreal 816pm(was 711pm)

Depart Montreal 1110am (was 1020am)
Depart Rouses 215pm (was 1255pm)
Arrive Albany 700pm (was 557pm)
Arrive NYP 1015pm (was 850pm)

At least it won't be able to cause havoc to the LSL in Albany any more.

 

[Amtrak25]

In Canada, it will take 37 minutes longer northbound, 20 minutes longer soutbound.

Given all we heard about the CN Rouses Pt Sub falling apart, I wonder if they can hold to that schedule.

Too bad it arrives back in NYC so late. The northbound schedule looks like it will hold in a siding somewhere between Westport and Plattburgh for 23 minutes, taking that much longer northbound.

 

[user 14106]

In addition to the slow orders on the Canadian side is the line not also dark territory north of Schenectady? (And thus speed limited to 59MPH.)

 

[Mailliw]

I originally posted snark about the schedule, but scratch that I'm just grateful it's back. Now if only Amtrak ran it with a BC/ Cafe car.

 

[JWM]

In addition to the slow orders on the Canadian side is the line not also dark territory north of Schenectady? (And thus speed limited to 59MPH.)

Not sure, but Canadian Pacific spent quite a bit upgrading signals, roadbed etc. Also, the speed limits south of Albany are higher than decades ago too. In short, I love the trip, but it has to be speeded up.

 

[Amtrak25]

When I ,made reservations for 69 at AGR, they told me to arrive NYP ONE HOUR before departure. No request for my passport number over the phone. (Little loophole there).

I suppose that means gate dragon customs theatre and kindergarten lines will be alive and well. I'll have to buy some extra Dr Scholl's shoe padding.

 

[thully]

It can now be booked !. Just noticed at 2pm EDT.

Compared to 2019:

Departs NYP 840am (was 815am)
Departs ALB 1140am (was 1110am)
Depart Rouses 433pm (was 405pm)
Arrive Montreal 816pm(was 711pm)

Depart Montreal 1110am (was 1020am)
Depart Rouses 215pm (was 1255pm)
Arrive Albany 700pm (was 557pm)
Arrive NYP 1015pm (was 850pm)

Looks like the connection from the southbound Adirondack to the westbound LSL that existed pre-2020 may be no more - it still arrives at SDY before the LSL, but with less than an hour to spare (and Arrow won’t let you book it). Perhaps they reads it later, though that connection was only possible in one direction anyway - you couldn’t go eastbound LSL to northbound Adirondack without staying overnight. I did use it once 12 or so years ago from Burlington, VT via the now-defunct Port Kent ferry - though these days you could just use the Ethan Allen for that trip…

 

[fdaley]

In addition to the slow orders on the Canadian side is the line not also dark territory north of Schenectady? (And thus speed limited to 59MPH.)

Last I knew it was signaled from Rouses Point all the way down. I believe a chunk of the line north of the border is dark, however. Nearly two hours from Montreal to the border is painfully slow, considering it's only about 40 miles.