Amtrak's ADIRONDACK

Trains 68/69 The Adirondack with service to Montreal will return as of April 3rd.

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org ... arly-april

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:06 am Trains 68/69 The Adirondack with service to Montreal will return as of April 3rd.

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org ... arly-april

I read that The Rouses Point Subdivision is currently a mix of 10mph and 25mph track. Pre-COVID this was generally 50mph. This downgraded track classification means at least 2.5 hours running time for the ADIRONDACK from the border to the junction with the main line near St. Lambert (and almost at Montreal). Pre-COVID, with the line mostly at 50mph, this run took 1 hour 35 minutes.

Its a game CN plays to extort money from Amtrak for upgrades. When they first started trips to get crews requalified CN kept outlawed trains parked on single track portions so trips could not be completed. The RSP is a lightly used sub and deep down inside CN would love nothing more that to be rid of it. When I first started going to Montreal in the late 90s there were five branches off the RSP. I think all are gone except Cantic which runs down to the NECR.

Mr. Junkie, is the Napierville Junction still in service to use as an alt-route if need be?

Whynot use CP to where it bridges over the CN Montreal subdivision and build a connection. That would seem cheaper in the long run ? About 2 - 1/2 miles of wrong way running in the morning against GO transit probably a no way.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:44 pm Mr. Junkie, is the Napierville Junction still in service to use as an alt-route if need be?

That was looked at some years ago. It was a no go then so I doubt it would happen now. This a typical CN tactic to get money out of Amtrak. On a side note from what I hear the schedule is not that great to begin with as both CN and CP don't really want the train interfering with their operations.

scoostraw wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:30 am

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:06 am Trains 68/69 The Adirondack with service to Montreal will return as of April 3rd.

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org ... arly-april

I read that The Rouses Point Subdivision is currently a mix of 10mph and 25mph track. Pre-COVID this was generally 50mph. This downgraded track classification means at least 2.5 hours running time for the ADIRONDACK from the border to the junction with the main line near St. Lambert (and almost at Montreal). Pre-COVID, with the line mostly at 50mph, this run took 1 hour 35 minutes.

A recent Times Union (Albany NY newspaper) article mentioned this section of track but not much detail. That certainly doesn't help the running time on an already slowish train.

cle wrote: ↑Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:07 am It's a shame they can't run it a bit further - Saratoga could do with the additional service. Probably a few more.

I'm involved with governmental affairs with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Over the last couple of years I'd tried to see about getting the train reinstated to Plattsburgh. This endeavor started when travel between the two countries was still restricted. Long after domestic travel had resumed, the North Country was still without rail service. Plattsburgh has a state university. Many of the parents likely don't want to shell out for a car as well as tuition. Besides, the D&H has facilities to turn and store the train between trips a few miles south of the station. Unfortunately, I never got enough traction on it.

Now it's all moot anyway. They have a firm restart date in early April. Over the last few months Amtrak crews have been making test runs to prequalify over the line. They'd done so periodically over the last few years, but now they have been doing so frequently. One other pressing issue is that the building and platform at Westport has been under renovation. Before the cold set in some of the rebar work was installed on the new platform. The building still has its windows boarded up. I don't know what the expected completion date will be.