Amtrak's ADIRONDACK

But if the Adirondack is to hang up the Adios drumhead, what has been lost? I'll concede a scenic excursion, but has a relaible service that is time competitive with highway travel serving meaningful population centers been lost?, I don't think so.

I enjoyed it as a way to get to Canada (after missing the Maple leaf). As a scenic route it is of world class. It should be promoted to tourists. Of course I travelled in a carriage with decent windows. I gather that nowadays it has those small windows.

This is NY State's only state funded Amtrak train.

And this train has so much potential if it operated with the right equipment and had descent amenities for travellers. It could attract both a tourist and general public patronage. I also wish it would have business class as an option to at least offer additional legroom and low density seating for passengers travelling all the way to the far reaches of northern NY or Montreal.

As I have stated before in other forums and threads, when it had those refurbished "Adirondack Heritage Coaches" with the wide windows, that was sort of its heyday for me on the Adirondack. Now we only get to look forward to the Great Dome gracing its presence during the fall season. Yes, it is a long journey from endpoint to endpoint. However, a high speed train route from NYC to Montreal (not necessarily using the complete Adirondack's route on the D&H) was at one point on the list of DOT's high speed passenger rail "wish lists." And during rough weather or at least to get to upstate NY, it gets filled up quite easily. And when ever I have taken the Adirondack - every three months or so - it was always full or nearly full. It would be a real shame to lose this passenger rail service, as it appears may be the case of the Ethan Allen Express.

There's no matching support to help out the states during these difficult times to help subsidize these trains is there? I think it's only for development of new rail routes right?

I wonder if Amtrak doesn't offer business class because they don't want to ruin their nice business class coaches. From what I observed, customs agents at the border had no problem tearing the seats apart looking for drugs or whatever they suspected a couple of passengers of having. (Those passengers were removed from the train, never to return.) In general, the agents seemed rough with the equipment and not very careful with it.

Matt Johnson wrote:I wonder if Amtrak doesn't offer business class because they don't want to ruin their nice business class coaches. From what I observed, customs agents at the border had no problem tearing the seats apart looking for drugs or whatever they suspected a couple of passengers of having. (Those passengers were removed from the train, never to return.) In general, the agents seemed rough with the equipment and not very careful with it.

But then why doe the Maple Leaf have then then?

Matt Johnson wrote:I wonder if Amtrak doesn't offer business class because they don't want to ruin their nice business class coaches. From what I observed, customs agents at the border had no problem tearing the seats apart looking for drugs or whatever they suspected a couple of passengers of having. (Those passengers were removed from the train, never to return.) In general, the agents seemed rough with the equipment and not very careful with it.

Was this US CBP or CBSA?

I'm going to take a guess and say US. When ever I cross the border they seem more tense than our friends to the north.

Kaback9 wrote:I'm going to take a guess and say US. When ever I cross the border they seem more tense than oir friends to the north.

Well, either way, both agencies can do that and I am assuming they let the drug sniffing dog through the train and he started barking at seats. I've seen it done on Greyhound a few times on the Peace Bridge in Buffalo/Fort Erie.

They probably had to remove the seats for use as evidence in court but Amtrak did probably get it back and actually probably even charged the passenger with some sort of tampering charge (well at least I hope they did)

But back to the subject, I'm surprised no has said anything else about my idea of converting the Adirondack to pre-clearance operations. It would SHAVE off 2 hours from the journey, save money by no longer needing to stop or operate at St Lambert. I think I might go ahead and write a letter to Patterson actually about said idea. There's room in Gare Central in Montreal for pre-clearance customs I know.

i'll be riding the Adirondack to Montreal from NYP and back Jan 3rd and 6th, I last rode this train several years ago with my parents and I remember it being a pleasent experience.

would a thruway bus connection to Rutland and other vermont destinations help patronage ???

The drugs comments remnind me of the time i crossed form bolivia to Argentina by train . the passengers virtually pulled the car apart in their efforts to hide coca leaves .
One nice lady even asked if i could look after her bag for her ....

On the Adirondack route, the stations of Fort Edward, Fort Ticonderoga, Plattsburgh, Port Henry, Port Kent, Rouses Point, Saratoga Springs, Westport and Whitehall were used by 86,037 passengers in Fiscal year 2008. The numbers for Fort Edward and Saratoga Springs include passengers using the Ethan Allen, which is also on the hook, at those stations. I could not find the number of passengers using the Adirondack at Montreal. The busiest station is Saratoga Springs at 31,127 passengers. Four years ago, this station was completely rebult for several million dollars. While the station does also function as a local and area bus station, if the Adirondack and the Ethan Allen get cut, Saratoga will have a big passenger rail station with no trains. Over in Rutland, there was a new passenger rail station built for Ethan Allen service. A Rutland transit web site shows that Vermont Transit serves the City also, but that is no longer the case. The closest Greyhound stop is in Bellows Falls. Actually, there is no more Vermont Transit. It was always part of Greyhound and has been merged into the "hound". So, there will be another modern passenger rail station with no trains.

Piece on CNN this evening about projects being proposed by 430 US City Mayors as part of the anticipated "stimulus" package. These include such items as water parks, zoo exhibits, dog parks. a minor league baseball museum and even a $1.5 million program to reduce prostitution in Dayton, OH. Someone sure needs to scrutinize this list and keep a red pencil handy.

I hope NY and VT can keep the Adirondack and Ethan Allen rolling.

Dick

I have ridden the Adirondak and it is a very scenic route,and should be saved. If the government can find $18 billion to bail out the banks and another $ multi billion to bail out Detroit,they can certainly find enough $ to keep Amtrak adequately funded to keep the trains we have now,including the Adirondak.

What amazes me is that politicians would propose spending tens of billions on a new high speed rail line to provide redundant service parellel to the existing Northeast Corridor at a time when we can't even afford to maintain the minimal rail service that exists currently!

Matt Johnson wrote:What amazes me is that politicians would propose spending tens of billions on a new high speed rail line to provide redundant service parellel to the existing Northeast Corridor at a time when we can't even afford to maintain the minimal rail service that exists currently!

You're amazed by politicians? That proposal was nothing but a consultant-enriching fantasy that has no chance of being realized, at least not in the next couple decades. There are at least a dozen urban corridors within the US that have better market potential for high speed rail service than New York-Montreal, which wasn't a particularly busy route even in the heyday of privately-operated passenger service.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: Therefore it is a New York matter regarding how scarce resources are allocated. The choice is simply whether funds should be allocated to this scenic excursion so those who enjoy the ambiance of a train can continue to do so or whether people are efficiently moved in the regions of the State "where the people are".

Like many other people here, I have enjoyed a number of rides along Lake Champlain, going back to the days of D&H PAs and domes, and I hope it continues. But as Mr. Norman suggests, the unfortunate problem in a cash-short environment is that no rail route with just one short train a day can be truly considered an essential transportation service. It is indeed up to Governor Paterson and company to decide whether the cost of the Adirondack can continue to be supported as other state services are cut.

Montreal is a cool city, and I love to visit! I really wish there were a decent rail service between New York and Montreal, either in the form of an overnight run with affordable sleeper accomodations, or a much faster daytime run that could make the trip in 6 - 8 hours rather than the 11 or 12 hours that the Adirondack takes.

New York has already eliminated food service on Empire Corridor trains, sidelined the Turboliners, canceled track upgrades, and recently withdrew plans for a New York to Albany express train to help deal with budget shortfalls. Now they're being asked to possibly eliminate the Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express. When is enough enough? How many more concessions will they be forced to make?