SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — After more than a month with no mention in the “Passenger Advisories” section of Amtrak’s website that the New York-Montreal Adirondack wasn’t running north of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the passenger operator has acknowledged that the summertime hiatus will extend until Sept. 9.
The “Modified Adirondack Service” notice appeared a week after the extended suspension was first reported [see “Suspension of Amtrak’s Adirondack to Montreal will continue …,” Trains News Wire, June 7, 2024]. It explains, “Effective May 20 – September 9, 2024, Amtrak will be extending the modification of Adirondack service and will only operate between New York City and Saratoga Springs through Sunday, Sept. 8, as CN continues to progress track work on their line in Canada.”
The advisory then suggests: “For those passengers wishing to travel north of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., there is daily bus service on Greyhound. Availability and connections to/from Greyhound are not guaranteed. Please visit their website for further information.”
News Wire did just that, and found about 10 daily buses between New York City and Montreal operated by either Greyhound or Trailways. More than half of the trips ran overnight. Interestingly, one of the bus stops is at the Saratoga Springs train station, which would facilitate a convenient connection if train and bus schedules could be coordinated.
However, using Monday, June 17, as an example, the northbound Adirondack was scheduled to arrive at 12:28 p.m. (it actually got in at 12:46 p.m.). A Greyhound was scheduled to depart at 12:35 p.m., so no reliable connection is available there. The next bus to Montreal didn’t leave Saratoga Springs until 3:15 p.m., requiring a 2½ hour layover. That one was scheduled to arrive in Montreal at 8:25 p.m., about the time the train would get there (after a lengthy customs stop at the border) if it were running at normal track speed. There were no Montreal bus connections available from the northbound Ethan Allen, which is scheduled for a 5:54 p.m. arrival at Saratoga from New York.
Passengers riding a 7 a.m. bus out of Montreal would arrive at 12:15 p.m. so could comfortably connect with the southbound Ethan Allen at Saratoga, which departs at 1:22 p.m. A bus coming from Montreal at 4:20 p.m. would arrive in plenty of time for the truncated Adirondack’s departure at 6:02 p.m. Of course, passengers could ride the bus in both directions all the way between Montreal and New York City; those fares ranged from $87 to $126 on Monday.
In upstate New York, buses to and from Montreal also serve Glens Falls (as does Amtrak’s Burlington, Vt., bound Ethan Allen) and Plattsburgh, but bypass the Adirondack’s stops at Whitehall, Ticonderoga, Port Henry, and Westport, N.Y.
The bottom line: Amtrak directs would-be train riders to a bus website, but the travelers will likely be disappointed in not being able to piece together a train-bus journey that meets their needs. More than a few passengers likely won’t come back after the trains do.
Amtrak, Canadian National, and New York State have not responded to News Wire requests to explain what the CN “track work” entails, why plans were not implemented sooner, why no connecting buses were considered, as well as any explanation of speed and cost considerations for the repairs. Reporting during last year’s service outage did piece together some of the issues [see “CN, Amtrak disagree on payments …,” News Wire, June 29, 2023].
Track condition to facilitate higher speeds when high temperatures demand more stringent construction standards are clearly relevant, challenges that can be intelligently discussed if the parties involved so choose.
Instead, Canadian National released a statement to News Wire and other media outlets late Friday placing the blame elsewhere.
“CN’s Rouses Point Subdivision, which hosts Amtrak’s Adirondack service, is open for freight and passenger rail operations and will remain open all summer and fall while undergoing maintenance,” the statement reads. “CN continues to operate three to five freight trains daily over this line, and did so as recently as today. Amtrak unilaterally decided to suspend its passenger service between Saratoga Springs and Montreal between May 20 and Sept. 9 without consultation with CN.”
Without proper context, media outlets like Burlington, Vt., CBS-TV affiliate WCAX-TV took the statement at face value. Why wouldn’t any news consumer come away with the idea that riding this train in the future is anything but an ordeal? Perhaps more definitive information will be forthcoming. In the meantime, protecting and growing Adirondack patronage doesn’t seem to be a priority for any of the train’s stakeholders.
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