PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) – Rail passengers through the North Country are once again getting sidelined later this month. Our Alek LaShomb talked to passengers about what’s next for the Adirondack Express.
“Whether or not I attend the baby shower, the birth of my grandchild, there is a lot at stake,” said Jessica, who is from Albany and a frequent rider on the Adirondack Express rail.
Her latest ride was to visit her son and his wife in Altona, who are having a child this summer.
For her, Amtrak is convenient, safe and necessary.
But the upcoming suspension of Amtrak’s rail line from New York City to Montreal will derail her plans to see her family.
“I am losing my vision so I can’t drive as far or as often as I used to, so I really rely on the train to get me up here,” she said.
Amtrak and Canadian National Rail are planning a six-week project to repair roughly 30 miles of track in Quebec.
For another passenger, Ali, who is visiting with her husband from the UK, the rail line has helped save time, money and headaches.
“It’s been great for us. When we arrived in Montreal and rather than having the hassle of driving a car across the border, hiring a car and driving across the border, we caught the train down and instead we hired a train from here, so it has been excellent from that point of view,” Ali said.
The upcoming rail disruption isn’t the first time the service has been put on hold. Amtrak also suspended service last summer for months due to a heat rule that affected the train’s speed in Quebec.
Rail industry experts hope the upcoming work will put an end to the stops and starts.
Steve Strauss, the executive director of the Empire State Passenger Association, says during the interim, he believes New York state should find an alternative for passengers.
“Probably would take two buses, it might require only one bus in each direction every day for six weeks, that’s a reasonable thing,” Strauss said.
But Jessica says she tried the bus last year and it wasn’t the same.
“There’s no space, there’s a lot of people, a lot of garbage. It is just a totally different experience, the train is the best way to go,” she said.
Construction on the track is expected to start on May 20 and is scheduled to finish on June 30.