Amtrak Empire Service (New York State)

Will this extend an existing Albany frequency, or re-instate another into the timetable?

cle wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 8:31 am Will this extend an existing Albany frequency, or re-instate another into the timetable?

From what I am hearing from the UTU local chairman AMT 69/68 The Adirondack will be added back into the timetable as a NYP ALB round trip FIRST until crews are re qualified to Montreal QC. I think they are shooting for a December start date for that portion of service. As to when exactly The Adirondack will be added back to the timetable not exactly sure, a SWAG would be sometime around time change.

I took the train yesterday - anecdote alert - but the conductor announed several times that it was completely sold out (move bags etc) and it was indeed, very very full. There is a big gap in the afternoon too.

Between NYP-ALB it definitely needs expansion towards hourly at minimum, it does not reflect how travel patterns have changed since the pandy - plus a boom in weekend travel/the Hudson Valley overall.

Just happened to have 2013 Empire schedule on my dresser, why??? Anyway, the northbound trains starting with AMT 49 that ran then still run today, just the times maybe a little different. Southbound it is the same from AMT 284 to AMT 64 less train AMT 68 The Adirondack AMT 296, this train was a late train out Rutland VT and wouldn't work with the current VT schedule. AMT 288 was a late train out of Niagara Falls and the state of NY never ponied up the $$$ to put it back into the schedule.
Weekends have always had larger gaps in the schedule as to why I haven't a clue, above my pay grade. If the conductors were telling everyone to make all seats available and it was a Sunday northbound. I'm guessing it was train 253 it is normally sold out. It almost always is

It was train 233. And yes it definitely feels like the schedules haven't taken into account the step changes in demand in this part of the world in the last few years.

If trains are consistently selling out, that should stimulate something. It would with an airline (more frequency or larger capacity).

Have you noticed even airlines have been cancelling flights due to lack of trained crews?

Amtrak is still suffering crew shortages and of course really hasn't gotten much new equipment (whereas a few airlines at least right now have excess in their fleets as I recall).

So I wouldn't be surprised if Amtrak would love to increase its schedule here, but can't.

Talk to NYS they help fund what runs and as of now they are not paying for getting the few remaining trains that were lost due to COVID back on the schedule. I agree there should be hourly service between Albany and NYP we once had a Superintendent that had it close save for a few very early morning hours.

On that note - and I've not seen it elsewhere - two frequencies are being (re)-introduced:

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/new ... and-albany

That afternoon gap out of Penn was especially needed to remedy.

Took the train on Tuesday (234/237) and packed both ways. High level platforms at Rhinecliff (and Hudson, ugh - but so difficult) - can't come soon enough.

Do this additions require another train set ? That is important in the scheme of claimed equipment shortages. What about T&E and OBS ?

west point wrote: ↑Thu Nov 17, 2022 1:08 pm Do this additions require another train set ? That is important in the scheme of claimed equipment shortages. What about T&E and OBS ?

A few things the article lists them as new, they are just trains Amtrak ran pre COVID. The late train out of Albany will be train 68 the ALB/NYP portion of the Adirondack ahead of train 64 the Maple Leaf, just as it was. The mid morning train out of Penn ill be train 69 the NYP/ALB portion of the Adirondack, behind Amtrak 63 just as it was. Not going to Montreal yet crews are still getting re qualified. Not sure what the other train numbers are have yet to see the official job bids.
Equipment will be found for the return of service, Amtrak under this current administration likes to handle train sets like planes if its not earning revenue its not in service. As for OBS no trains that run locally between ALB/NYP NYP/ALB have food service. Only trains coming from or going west of ALB have such service.

Would seem a loss of potential revenue. I'm sure they'd freak in the union, but in the longer stints (e.g. Croton-Poughkeepsie) - the ticket guy could do a trolley run with cans and snacks for sale. Nothing hot or complex - prob sell a good amount of booze. Or check and cater in one.

Deutsche Bahn was doing this at one time a decade or more ago. I thought I might be reading it wrong where it said you could order refreshments from the conductor (surely that can't be right!), but soon after he made his lift he came through the first-class car taking orders (printed menus were already on the seats), so I ordered a beer and a sandwich, which he bought to my seat a short time later.

cle wrote: ↑Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:51 pm Would seem a loss of potential revenue. I'm sure they'd freak in the union, but in the longer stints (e.g. Croton-Poughkeepsie) - the ticket guy could do a trolley run with cans and snacks for sale. Nothing hot or complex - prob sell a good amount of booze. Or check and cater in one.

The Albany Rensselaer station has a large commissary, never been used. It was close to being opened up in 2020 and all trains would have had food service then COVID hit and killed everything. Perhaps one day it will return.
Conductors have enough to do with reminding the engineer of speed restrictions work areas and the like to be worried about selling a can of soda. That can of $2.50 Pepsi or whatever it costs now could cost you a months pay if you and your engineer missed something and got yourselves in a jam.

cle wrote: ↑Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:51 pm Would seem a loss of potential revenue. I'm sure they'd freak in the union, but in the longer stints (e.g. Croton-Poughkeepsie) - the ticket guy could do a trolley run with cans and snacks for sale. Nothing hot or complex - prob sell a good amount of booze. Or check and cater in one.

I don't think there would be enough revenue benefit to outweigh the drawbacks of the potential negatives. The conductors are already pretty overwhelmed with how packed these trains can be without having to wait tables and handle additional money. There used to be cafe car service on the short haul trains but they proved to cost more than they made.

I travel the RHI - NYP portion of the route pretty often and even on the trains I catch with cafe car service, typically don't get hungry/thirsty enough by the time I reach Croton or Yonkers to warrant a visit for snacks. Even if I do by that time I'm already so close to NYP that I'm more likely to just grab food in the city. This is especially true for the return trip, where I'll just make sure I grab something in the city before I depart in case I get snacky. There are enough quick food options around the stations between ALB - NYP where people could stop for more snacks at less cost before jumping on the train. I've made my fair share of stops to the Dunkin' at the Milan Mobile or the Stewarts in town for a coffee and sandwich to house on the train.

I also don't really care to see adult beverage service. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against drinking (I enjoy a couple of Stellas every now and then), but people on crowded Empire trains can be obnoxious sober, never mind when they've been partaking in the City. Plus it's been my experience that people drinking in public tend to have less self control than in private environments. It's easy enough to walk away from a drunk guy/gal out in the open, but being confined together in an AmCan is not my idea of a fun time. I'm sure train crews have their hands full already with the sober crazies, they probably don't want or need the trashed ones too lol.