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Empire Service

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Not to be confused with Empire Builder.
For BBC Empire Service, forerunner to the BBC World Service, see BBC World Service. For other uses, see Empire Service (disambiguation).

Empire Service
An Empire Service train passing through Briarcliff Manor, New York in June 2023.
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleNew York
PredecessorNew York Central corridor trains
First serviceDecember 3, 1967 (1967-12-03)
Current operator(s)Amtrak in partnership with NYSDOT
Former operator(s)
Annual ridership
  • 1,244,276 (Albany–NYC, FY23) Increase 22.0%[a][1]
  • 452,711 (Toronto–Albany, FY23) Increase 17.6%[a][1][b]
Route
TerminiNiagara Falls, New York
New York City, New York
Stops16
Distance travelled460 miles (740 km)
Average journey time8 hours, 51–58 minutes[2]
Service frequencyTwelve daily round trips (Albany–NYC)
Three daily round trips (Niagara Falls–NYC)
Train number(s)230, 232–241, 243–245, 250, 252–253, 256–257, 259–261, 280–281, 283–284
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Business Class
Disabled accessAll cars, all stations
Catering facilitiesCafé car
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Technical
Rolling stockAmfleet coaches
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed52 mph (84 km/h) (avg.)
110 mph (180 km/h) (top)
Track owner(s)MNRR, Amtrak, CSX

The Empire Service is an inter-city rail service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. The brand name originated with the New York Central Railroad in 1967. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service along the 460-mile (740 km) Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls via Albany, the state capital.

During fiscal year 2018, the Empire Service carried 1,150,498 passengers on the line between New York City and Albany, while services between Albany and points west, including the Maple Leaf and Lake Shore Limited, carried an additional 366,696.[3] Ticket revenue on the New York City–Albany section in FY2016 was $49,361,545, an increase of 1.4% from FY2015, while revenue on the Albany–Toronto route was $22,143,803.[4]

Services

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Approximately hourly weekday service is available on the southern portion of the line between New York Penn Station and Albany–Rensselaer. As of the April 2024 timetable, the route operates nine round trips on most days – seven between New York City and Albany, and two between New York City and Niagara Falls.[5]

The corridor served by four additional Amtrak trains each day:[5]

Downstate, in the Hudson Valley, the portion of the route from Poughkeepsie southward is shared with the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line, and sees frequent commuter service, with connections to the Empire Service at Poughkeepsie, Croton-Harmon, and Yonkers.

The Empire Service is one of four New York-based train routes that Amtrak operates with funding from the New York State Department of Transportation with the other three routes being the Adirondack, Maple Leaf, and Ethan Allen Express.

History

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See also: List of Amtrak routes § Empire Corridor
A battered Penn Central EMD E8 leads another E8 and two coaches at Albany-Rensselaer in 1969

Today's Empire Service is the descendant of numerous routes dating to 1869, when Cornelius Vanderbilt merged his Hudson River Railroad (forerunner of today's Metro-North Hudson Line) with the New York Central Railroad (NYC), thus linking New York City with Albany.

Its route is largely coextensive with what was once the NYC's main line, which was the eastern portion of the "Water Level Route" from New York City to Chicago. The Buffalo-Niagara Falls leg was formerly part of an NYC subsidiary, the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad, but passenger service was dropped in 1961.

On December 3, 1967, just months before its merger with the Pennsylvania Railroad to become the Penn Central Transportation Company, the Central reorganized all its passenger routes. All trains along the New York City-Buffalo corridor were consolidated under the Empire Service brand. Marketing emphasized convenient service within the state, with a reduced emphasis on long-distance trains which continued west of Buffalo. This program continued after the Penn Central merger.[6] The new scheduling produced mixed results; passengers were deterred by the poor quality of the passenger cars and the inconvenient locations of stations along the route.[7]

Amtrak once operated Turboliners on the Empire Corridor. Here the Mohawk crosses the Seneca River in 1984.

Penn Central handed the Empire Service, along with most of its other routes, to Amtrak on May 1, 1971. Initially, Amtrak retained seven daily trains on the New York City–Albany–Buffalo corridor: four operated from New York City to Albany, and three ran through to Buffalo. All service west of Buffalo was discontinued. All trains retained their ex-Penn Central numbers and were otherwise nameless.[8] Westward service resumed briefly after May with the introduction of the Chicago–New York City Lake Shore, but this train was canceled on January 6, 1972.

The Empire Service name was restored on June 11, 1972, and individual names were added to the trains along the corridor on May 19, 1974.[9][10]

Despite doubts about Amtrak's potential success, the company was key in reestablishing some discontinued services along the Empire Corridor. Service beyond Buffalo to Niagara Falls was reestablished with such trains as the Niagara Rainbow and the Maple Leaf. In addition Amtrak restored service to downtown Schenectady in 1978, a service which Penn Central had discontinued in 1968, for all Empire Service trains that continued beyond Albany. Service was restored permanently on the old Water Level Route with the reintroduction of the old New York Central train, the Lake Shore Limited, on October 31, 1975.

On April 7, 1991, all Amtrak Empire Service trains started using the new Empire Connection into New York Penn. Prior to that change, all passenger trains from Albany and beyond originated and terminated at Grand Central Terminal, forcing passengers traveling to the Northeast Corridor to transfer via shuttle bus, taxicab, or via the New York City Subway to reach Penn Station. The move also saved Amtrak the expense of operating two stations in New York City.

All service along the Empire Corridor was consolidated under the Empire brand on October 28, 1995.[11] The names were restored just a year later, only to be dropped again in 1999.[12][13]

In October 2011, CSX and Amtrak reached an agreement for Amtrak to lease the Hudson Subdivision between Poughkeepsie and Hoffmans, west of Schenectady. Since 2012, Amtrak has effectively had operational control over the Hudson Subdivision, handling all maintenance and capital responsibilities. CSX retained freight rights over the line, which hosts only five freights a day.

In the Capital District, Amtrak has used federal funds to double-track the line between Rensselaer and Schenectady (which once had four tracks under the New York Central), and add an additional station track at the Albany–Rensselaer station. Amtrak sees the lease as key to improving Empire Service speeds and frequencies.[14] Amtrak officially assumed control on December 1, 2012, with trains in the section now dispatched by the Amtrak Control and Command Center in New York City.[15]

From July 10 through September 1, 2017, six Empire Service trains (three round trips) used Grand Central Terminal as part of Amtrak's work to make repairs at Penn Station.[16] All trains using the Empire Connection, excluding the Lake Shore Limited, again operated 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 City's Penn Station.[17]

In May 2018, the Massachusetts Senate approved funds for a two-year pilot of the "Berkshire Flyer", a seasonal extension of a weekend Empire Service round trip to Pittsfield.[18][19] The service, modeled on the CapeFLYER, would extend one New York City–Albany train to Pittsfield on Friday afternoons, with a return trip on Sunday afternoons.[20] The trial was scheduled to begin in June 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and outstanding questions around the program's legal sponsorship.[21] After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the pilot was rescheduled for summer 2022 and 2023, with the first trip on July 8, 2022.[22]

Service along the southern portion was disrupted for several days in November 2023. Increased inspection and regulation that followed an April 2023 parking garage collapse resulted in the discovery of similar structural issues at another garage overlying the tracks in Manhattan.[23][24] One round trip was resumed on March 4, 2024, restoring service to pre-COVID levels.[25] Service was reduced to eight round trips on November 10, 2024, due to construction work in the East River Tunnels limiting capacity at Penn Station.[26] One round trip was re-added on December 2, 2024, through at least March 2025.[27]

Operation

[edit]

Equipment

[edit]
GE Genesis P32AC-DM No. 701 pulls an Empire Service through the Hudson Highlands along the Hudson River.

Most Empire Service trains consist of five or six cars hauled by a locomotive.[28]

The passenger cars are the Amfleet I series passenger cars built by the Budd Company in the mid-to-late 1970s. Most trains include an Amfleet club car which has a combination of Business Class seating with a Café (food service/lounge) and four or five Coach Class cars.[29]

Between New York City and Albany–Rensselaer, trains are pulled by a GE Genesis P32AC-DM dual-mode diesel locomotive at speeds up to 110 mph (177 km/h). The locomotives operate on third rail electric power in Penn Station and the Empire Connection tunnel and on diesel power for the rest of the route.[30] Between Albany–Rensselaer and Niagara Falls, traditional diesel-only GE Genesis locomotives are used.

The New York Central did not order new equipment for the Empire Service, preferring to rehabilitate existing equipment. 40 64-seat coaches, built by Pullman-Standard in 1946, were refurbished in 1967–1968. Another 21 coaches from the same pool were rebuilt as 50-seat "coach-buffet" cars.[31] Amtrak acquired this equipment when it took over the Penn Central's passenger trains in 1971.[32] The cars remained on the Empire Service under Amtrak into the mid-1970s. A typical train between New York City and Albany consisted of two coaches and the coach-buffet or "snack bar" coach. Trains which operated west of Albany had additional coaches.[33]

In the coming years all equipment will be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets, the railroad's branding of its combination of Siemens Venture passenger cars and a Siemens Charger diesel-electric locomotive.[34] The trainsets for the Empire Service will have six passenger cars, which will include a cab control car food service area and a mix of 2x2 Coach Class and 2x1 Business Class seating.[35] The car closest to the locomotive will have batteries to supply electricity to traction motors in the locomotive when operating in Penn Station and the Empire Connection tunnel, eliminating the need for third rail propulsion. The arrangement will eliminate the time-consuming locomotive change at Albany–Rensselaer.

Classes of service

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All classes of service include complimentary WiFi, an electric outlet (120 V, 60 Hz AC) at each seat, reading lamps, fold-out tray tables. Reservations are required on all trains, tickets may be purchased online, from an agent at some stations, a ticketing machine at most stations, or, at a higher cost, from the conductor on the train.[36]

  • Coach Class: 2x2 seating. Passengers self-select seats on a first-come, first-served basis.[37]
  • Business Class: 2x1 seating with more legroom than coach. Passengers receive complimentary soft drinks.

Route

[edit]
Empire Service map

The Empire Service operates over CSX Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak trackage:

The northern terminus for most trains, Albany–Rensselaer, is the ninth-busiest Amtrak station in the country and the busiest serving a metropolitan area of fewer than two million people. This is mainly due to the large number of passengers traveling along the New York City–Albany corridor, which for years was to the New York Central what the Philadelphia–New York corridor was to the Pennsylvania Railroad.

From Spuyten Duyvil to Albany, the train runs mostly parallel to the Hudson River (viewable on the left side northbound and the right side southbound).

Station stops

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All stops are within the U.S. state of New York.

Location Mile (km) Station Connections
Niagara Falls 461 (742) Niagara Falls Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf
Buffalo 437 (703) Buffalo–Exchange Street Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf, Amtrak Thruway to Jamestown
Tram interchange NFTA: Metro Rail
Depew 431 (694) Buffalo–Depew Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited
Rochester 370 (600) Rochester Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited
Syracuse New York State Fair (Train only stops during fair)
291 (468) Syracuse Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited
Bus interchange CENTRO: 16, 48, 50, 60, 62, 70, 82, 236, 246, 250
Rome 250 (400) Rome Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf
Utica 237 (381) Utica Union Station Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited
Heritage railway Adirondack Scenic Railroad
Bus interchange CENTRO: 15, 31
Amsterdam 177 (285) Amsterdam Amtrak Amtrak: Maple Leaf
Schenectady 159 (256) Schenectady Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited
Bus interchange CDTA: 351, 353, 354, 355, 370, 763, 905 (BusPlus)
Rensselaer 141 (227) Albany–Rensselaer Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf
Bus interchange CDTA: 114, 214
Hudson 114 (183) Hudson Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf
Rhinecliff 100 (160) Rhinecliff Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf
Poughkeepsie 80 (130) Poughkeepsie Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf
Metro-North Railroad: ■ Hudson Line
Bus interchange DCPT: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie RailLink; UCAT: Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK
Croton-on-Hudson 40 (64) Croton–Harmon Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf
Metro-North Railroad: ■ Hudson Line
Bus interchange Bee-Line: 10, 11, 14
Yonkers 18 (29) Yonkers Amtrak Amtrak: Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf
Metro-North Railroad: ■ Hudson Line
Bus interchange Bee-Line: 6, 9, 25, 32, 91
New York City 0 New York Penn Station Amtrak Amtrak (long-distance): Cardinal, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto, Silver Meteor
Amtrak Amtrak (intercity): Acela, Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Carolinian, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter
LIRR: ■ Main Line, ■ Port Washington Branch
NJ Transit NJ Transit: ■ North Jersey Coast Line, ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ Gladstone Branch, ■ Montclair-Boonton Line, ■ Morristown Line
NYC Subway: "1" train​"2" train​"3" train"A" train​"C" train​"E" train
Port Authority Trans-Hudson PATH: HOB-33 JSQ-33 JSQ-33 (via HOB)
Bus interchange NYC Transit buses: M7, M20, M34 SBS, M34A SBS, Q32, SIM23, SIM24

High-speed rail

[edit]
Main article: New York high-speed rail

The Empire Service has been a long-standing candidate for high-speed rail and electrification. The need for high-speed rail service has been addressed by former Governor George Pataki, former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, and members of the New York State Assembly who represent the upstate regions. Other politicians have asked that high-speed rail be introduced along the Empire Corridor, diminishing the time for New York City – Buffalo trains from seven hours to just three hours; train travel from New York City to Albany would take less than two hours to complete. This may introduce Acela trains to the Empire Corridor if high-speed rail is successful. Another reason, which politicians have noted, is that high-speed trains might help improve Upstate New York's economy, which had become stagnant.

Currently, trains attain a maximum speed of 110 mph (177 km/h) on the stretch of track just northwest of Albany. Areas east of Schenectady also see speeds above 79 mph (127 km/h). The overall average including stops is about 50 mph, taking nearly 9 hours to go 450 miles.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Amtrak's Fiscal Year (FY) runs from October 1 of the prior year to September 30 of the named year.
  2. ^ Toronto–Albany: combines Empire Service and Maple Leaf ridership.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Amtrak Timetable Results". www.amtrak.com. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Amtrak FY18 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  4. ^ "Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue" (PDF). Amtrak. October 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  5. ^ a b [/https://content.amtrak.com/content/timetable/Empire%20Service.pdf "Empire Service"] (PDF). www.amtrak.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  6. ^ "They're brightening up the Empire Trains" (PDF). Penn Central Post. April 15, 1968. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  7. ^ Saunders 2001, p. 377
  8. ^ Amtrak (May 1, 1971). "Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service". Archived from the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  9. ^ Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service. Amtrak. June 11, 1972. p. 43 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  10. ^ All-America Schedules. Amtrak. May 19, 1974. p. 33 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  11. ^ Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Winter 1996. Amtrak. January 1996. pp. 20–23 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  12. ^ Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Fall/Winter 1996/97. Amtrak. November 14, 1996. pp. 20–23 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  13. ^ Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 1999. Amtrak. May 16, 1999. pp. 22–23 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  14. ^ Eric Anderson (October 18, 2011). "Amtrak leasing track corridor". Times-Union. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  15. ^ "Governor Cuomo Announces Hudson Rail Line Lease" (Press release). Albany, NY: Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. December 4, 2012. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  16. ^ "Select Empire Service Trains to Operate to/from Grand Central Terminal during Infrastructure Renewal Period" (Press release). Amtrak. July 3, 2017. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  17. ^ "Amtrak Announces Summer Infrastructure Renewal Work" (Press release). Amtrak. April 10, 2018. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  18. ^ "News Briefs: Mass. Senate approves funding for opioid prevention services; Mass. Senate provides funding for Berkshire FLYER; Mass. Senate to review small bridge repair regulations". Berkshire Edge. May 30, 2018.
  19. ^ Vaccaro, Adam (March 27, 2018). "A Berkshires-NYC train service could relaunch by 2019". Boston Globe.
  20. ^ Bellow, Heather (March 1, 2019). "Berkshire Flyer group 'ready to take the leap' from vision to reality". Berkshire Eagle.
  21. ^ Parnass, Larry (May 29, 2020). "Debut of Berkshire Flyer service to NYC delayed by legal questions". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  22. ^ "Berkshire Flyer Passenger Train Service Begins July 8" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. April 25, 2022. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  23. ^ Haag, Matthew; Mather, Victor (November 13, 2023). "N.Y. Area Amtrak Service Paused Over Problems With Garage Above Tracks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  24. ^ Mitchell, Ben (November 15, 2023). "Amtrak to resume service between Albany and NYC". News 10 ABC. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024.
  25. ^ Sachar, Emily (February 8, 2024). "Two Amtrak Train Runs Restored, Adding Early-Morning and Very Late-Night Trains". The Daily Catch. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "Empire Service Schedule Changes" (Press release). Amtrak. November 1, 2024.
  27. ^ "Governor Hochul and Amtrak Announce Restoration of Empire Service in Time for the Holiday Season" (Press release). Amtrak. November 22, 2024.
  28. ^ "Amtrak – Ethan Allen Express". TrainWeb. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  29. ^ Angelo, Lilly St (March 23, 2022). "Amtrak expected to begin route from Burlington to New York in July". The Burlington Free Press. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  30. ^ Vermont Agency of Transportation (January 2010). "Passenger Rail Equipment Options for the Amtrak Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express" (PDF). Vermont Legislature. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  31. ^ Wayner 1972, pp. 34, 37
  32. ^ Simon & Warner 2011, pp. 135, 150–151
  33. ^ Wayner 1977, pp. 18–19
  34. ^ "Introducing Our New Trains: Amtrak Airo". Amtrak. December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  35. ^ "Amtrak FY 2022–2027 Asset Line Plan" (PDF). Amtrak. p. 132. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  36. ^ "Travel Guide to Train Fares". Amtrak. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  37. ^ "Reserved Coach Class Seat". Amtrak. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  • Saunders, Richard (2001) [1978]. Merging Lines: American Railroads 1900–1970 (Revised ed.). DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-87580-265-7.
  • Simon, Elbert; Warner, David C. (2011). Holland, Kevin J. (ed.). Amtrak by the Numbers: A Comprehensive Passenger Car and Motive Power Roster – 1971–2011. Kansas City, Missouri: White River Productions. ISBN 978-1-932804-12-6.
  • Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1972). Car Names, Numbers and Consists. New York: Wayner Publications. OCLC 8848690.
  • Amtrak Consists (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Wayner Publications. 1977. OCLC 4279671.
[edit]
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