The start to Saratoga Springs' summer tourism season could be impacted after Amtrak announced this week that service between the Spa City and Montreal will be temporarily suspended.
If you have summer travel plans from upstate New York to Quebec, they may be thrown off track. According to Amtrak, service on the Adirondack line will be suspended due to anticipated track repairs from May 20th to June 30th.
Rail advocates want Amtrak to do more to assist travelers until service returns.
Bruce Becker is Director of Communications for the Empire State Passenger Association.
“We certainly appreciate that the track work will be completed by the peak summer travel season—trains will be running again by July 1st. We are disappointed that alternative transportation, most-likely buses are not being provided during the suspension period. The Adirondack will continue to run between New York City, Albany, and Saratoga during the entire period. But we would certainly like to see an alternative transportation be provided north of Saratoga, particularly for those folks who want to travel to and from Montreal,” said Becker.
Becker would like to see the state subsidize buses to help cover service gaps during the suspension.
“Montreal is an extremely popular destination for folks both traveling from the U.S. into Canada, for folks in Quebec coming down to New York City, and international travelers also. So, it is important for that service to be reliable, that folks can count on it,” said Becker.
The Adirondack connects New York City to Montreal with stops including Albany-Rensselaer, Saratoga Springs, and Plattsburgh. It transitioned to partial service during the pandemic due to international travel restrictions.
Full service resumed in April 2023, but in June the Canadian National Railway imposed a 10-mph speed restriction when temperatures were above 86 degrees. The summer heat led to suspended service for more than two months.
North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas wants Amtrak and CN to ensure consistent future service.
“If this does mean the full-resolution of that track problem so that we never again have to face a full summer shut-down of the service, then hooray! It’s worth the six weeks versus having to shut down for an entire summer. There would have to be some shut down for some period once there was an agreement on what work needed to be done. If this is it, we can get through six weeks and know that we’re free and clear going forward not only for this summer, but hopefully for many future summers to come,” said Douglas.
The two service providers have disputed who is at fault for the track’s disrepair.
Speaking with WAMC, Democratic Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Michal Cashman said he worries about the erosion of trust in service providers.
“It’s extremely frustrating that we find ourselves in this position again. One of the things that gets me very concerned is that when you have a disruption, it’s bad enough that people have to create alternative paths or make the decision that they can’t get to or from a location. But when you have disruptions like we’ve had over the last several years, people start to look at things as less reliable, and you know it may never make it back to the page as an option for them,” said Cashman.
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus says New York's unreliable passenger rail service has been a problem for years.
“And it’s so unfortunate. We have so many opportunities to expand rail service. But New York State has never, ever made it a priority. If they wanted to do something different, if they wanted to get these things fixed, they could force Amtrak as a contractor to the state to do a better job and they just don’t and it’s so unfortunate,” said Shimkus.
Shimkus said northern tourists won’t be able to visit the Spa City by train when the Belmont Stakes comes to Saratoga Race Course on June 8th. The third leg of racing's Triple Crown is expected to draw international visitors as it’s held upstate for two years.
For the time being, Douglas remains skeptical.
“Do I fully trust Amtrak and CN on this matter? They’ve given us no reason since last year to do so. So the proof will be in the pudding that they will in fact shut down for a six-week period which at this point will be good news because it will mean they really are in full agreement and the necessary work will be done but we will stay tuned and not take it at face value until we are certain,” said Douglas.
Canadian National Railway did not respond to a request for comment. Amtrak declined to comment beyond the initial announcement.