After a three-year hiatus, it will once again be possible to travel by train between Montreal and New York. Amtrak has pledged to restore Adirondack service by April 3.
The company had ended the liaison due to the pandemic. In 2019, the Adirondack carried 117,490 passengers.
Last July, Amtrak reactivated service between Toronto and New York, but made no move on the service between Montreal and New York. This attitude had aroused the indignation of elected officials in upstate New York, such as Representative Elise Stefanik, who stepped up pressure on Amtrak management.
“Families in upstate depend on the Adirondack for their transportation needs,” she said in a statement released this week, announcing in the same breath the return of this route which “is an important engine economic, connecting tourists and our Canadian neighbors with our region. »
Excellent news for the metropolis
For the Montreal tourist industry, the return of the Adirondack is excellent news.
“The northeastern United States is a market that is extremely important to us, a historical market, recalls the spokesperson for Tourisme Montréal, Aurélie de Blois. We talk about the Montreal-New York train, but in fact, it’s more the New York State train because it makes 17 stops there before arriving in Montreal. »
People from the New York capital, Albany and other big cities like Plattsburgh can thus have access to the Quebec metropolis, directly downtown.
“It’s been said to be one of the most scenic drives in the world,” says Ms.me of Blois. For those who want to feel like in a movie and watch the landscapes, it’s a great adventure. »
Similarly, Quebecers will be able to access tourist regions such as Ticonderoga and Saratoga Springs. But the main attraction is obviously New York. From the Big Apple, visitors can also take another train to visit Philadelphia or Washington.
For the Montreal-New York trip, we are talking about ten hours of travel. “Even if it’s longer than the plane or the car, it’s still more ecological”, underlines Mme of Blois.
For the moment, it is not yet possible to obtain tickets for the journey. Amtrak said it has started hiring and training flight attendants and mechanics. These employees must obtain certification from the Federal Railroad Administration before they can take action.
