Plans Derailed! Amtrak Halting Service In Upstate NY To Canada

Amtrak has announced that they will suspend service in a section of Northern New York that will affect travel from Upstate to Canada. 

If you are planning on traveling on Amtrak from May 20th through June 30th between Saratoga Springs and Montreal, you will have to make different plans. Amtrak is hitting the brakes on its passenger rail service during this time for some much-needed track repairs.

The Empire State Passengers Association (ESPA) explained on Facebook that the fix-up job is happening on a twenty-five-mile stretch of track owned by Canadian National, which Amtrak needs to use to get to Montreal.

These repairs are important because a similar problem in 2023 caused Amtrak to cancel services unexpectedly during the summer. So, by fixing things now, they hope to avoid that kind of disruption in the future. It seems like Amtrak and Canadian National had a bit of a disagreement about who should pay for the fixes last year, but it looks like they've sorted it out now.

Unfortunately, the timing couldn't be worse because summer is when lots of people are traveling between Saratoga Springs and Montreal. Joe LaLumia, who helps organize historical trips along this route, is disappointed because their plans have to be put on hold until July according to the Times Union.

Last summer, Trailways bus company stepped in to help during the closure, but we're unsure if they're doing the same this year. ESPA thinks it's a good idea for either Amtrak or the New York State government to think about helping out with bus services during this time to make things easier for travelers.