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ESPA Empire State Passenger Association

About
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Get Involved
Resources/FAQs
Events
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Join ESPA
- Membership Renewals
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Contact

News

News & Commentary

William Flynn Named New Amtrak President

March 7, 2020 New Amtrak CEO/President William (Bill) Flynn to take over from Richard Anderson on April 15.

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Brightline — Trip Review by Gary Prophet
Brightline definitely has the customer service figured out and they do a great job with execution.
Mobility-on-Demand Service at the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station
The CDTA officially inaugurated their FLEX+ mobility-on-demand service at the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station on Monday (01/29)
New York State Senate Public Hearing on High Speed Rail
Public Hearing to examine passenger rail within New York State, the “90B” rail improvement plan adopted by the State Department of Transportation, areas for service improvement, and the possible adoption of high-speed rail.
ESPA Testifies At 2024 NYS Transportation Budget Hearing
ESPA's Executive Director Steve Strauss testified at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing regarding the proposed 2024 Executive Budget Proposal for Transportation on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
New State “Infrastructure Hub” Website
Infrastructure.NY.gov features an interactive map highlighting key infrastructure projects underway.
Seldom Willing: A Novel of Railroading
A novel focused on the North American freight railroad industry of the late-1970s, an uncertain time of great change within the struggling industry.
Amtrak Restores Full Adirondack Service To & From Montreal, QC
The service restoration comes as cooler fall weather temperatures should not trigger the draconian speed restrictions imposed by the Canadian National Railway north of the border.
Amtrak Restores Adirondack Service To & From Saratoga Springs
Unfortunately service north of Saratoga to Montreal remains suspended due to the extreme speed restrictions imposed by the Canadian National Railway north of the border.
Amtrak's Adirondack Suspended North Of Albany-Rensselaer
Effective June 23 2023 , Amtrak was been forced to suspend it's New York to Montreal Adirondack service between Albany and Montreal, due extreme speed restrictions (10mph) imposed by the Canadian National Railway north of the border on the train's route to/from Montreal.
Florida Bound: Can't Get There from Here by Air
I never imagined I'd ever divert from a plane to a train on account of the weather, but finally did after fifty years.
Amtrak's Adirondack Service Returns After Three-Year Hiatus
Amtrak's Adirondack returned after its three-year COVID suspension on Monday April 3rd, 2023 — with the first northbound train from New York Penn Station to Montreal Gare Centrale.
Amtrak and Regional Authority Release Study Examining the Scranton – New York Corridor
A two-year analysis of potential rail service between Scranton and New York City estimates the service could carry more than 470,000 riders annually.
ESPA Testifies At 2023 Transportation Budget Hearing
ESPA Executive Director Steve Strauss testified before the Joint NYS Senate & Assembly Transportation Budget Hearing on Monday, February 6, 2023.
LIRR Service to Grand Central Madison Inaugurated
East Side Access is done, with the new commuter rail station, located below Grand Central Terminal now open.
Construction On Livingston Avenue Bridge To Start In 2023
The project has cleared a key federal environmental hurdle, allowing DOT to move into the final design phase of the project.
Grand Central Madison to Open with Shuttle Service from Jamaica
The Long Island Rail Road will introduce special Grand Central Direct service to Grand Central Madison.
Amtrak Unveils New Trainsets
Amtrak unveiled the next generation 'Airo' trainsets in a press event on Thursday, December 15, at New York's Moynihan Train Hall.
Ground Broken for Metro North Penn Station Access
Largest expansion of Metro-North Ra will bring train service within one mile of 500,000 residents and dramatically cut travel times.
LIRR Third Track Between Floral Park and Hicksville Opens
Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated October 3rd the completion of the Long Island Rail Road's historic Third Track project on time and under budget.
Adirondack Railroad Reaches Tupper Lake
For the first time since 1981, a passenger train arrived at Tupper Lake, NY on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, as the Adirondack Railroad celebrated the completion of the NYS-funded track rehabilitation of the state-owned rail corridor.
Passenger Rail Service Returns to Burlington with the Inaugural Run of Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express
The inaugural run of Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express left Union Station in Burlington Friday morning, July 29th. Vermont’s largest city has not seen passenger rail service to New York City since 1953.
Maple Leaf Resumes Service to and from Toronto Monday, June 27th
The Maple Leaf's restoration will be Amtrak's first cross-border service to resume since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Hochul and Governor Murphy Announce Major Step Toward Modernization of Penn Station
MTA, in partnership with Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, is seeking Firms to design Penn Station Reconstruction. New Station will feature massive single-level concourse with high ceilings and natural light, greater connectivity to platforms, larger entrances and intuitive travel paths.
Governor Hochul Announces New LIRR Terminal in Midtown Manhattan Will Be Named "Grand Central Madison"
LIRR service to the East Side of Manhattan remains on target to begin this year. Opening of new terminal enables LIRR service increases of 40 percent, enhance reverse-commuting, off-peak and discretionary travel, and decongesting Penn Station.
NYSDOT Releases Livingston Avenue Bridge Replacement Environmental Assessment
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is proposing to replace the Livingston Avenue Bridge which spans the Hudson River between the cities of Albany and Rensselaer, providing a critical rail link on New York State’s Empire Corridor.
Testimony from the Empire State Passenger Association on the Budget for NYS Department of Transportation
ESPA’s testimony focused on the opportunities presented by the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last November and the readiness of New York State to compete for up to $66 billion in largely discretionary federal rail infrastructure funds.
Governor Hochul Releases Feasibility Report for the Interborough Express
Project would serve 80,000 daily riders and connect to up to 17 Subway Lines and the LIRR, with a end-to-end travel time expected to be less than 40 minutes.
Senator Schumer Wants LAB Bridge Project to be Funded
Amtrak is getting $16 billion to upgrade national network from recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Sen. Schumer wants the 120-year-old Livingston Avenue bridge to be top on the list of projects.
Governor Hochul Unveils Commuter-First Vision for Penn Station and Revitalized Surrounding Neighborhood
Reimagined Development Plan Reduces Density, Prioritizes the Public Realm and Social Services, Invests in Affordable Housing, Increases Transit Access and Shared Streets, Activates Pedestrian-Friendly Streetscape
Governor Hochul Marks East Side Access Milestone with LIRR Test Ride to Grand Central
Governor Kathy Hochul today joined the MTA on a special LIRR test train to Grand Central Terminal and gave the public one of the first-ever looks at the new GCT East Side Access passenger terminal.
New York and Vermont Passenger Rail Advocates Call For Swift Return of Amtrak International Service
New York’s Empire State Passengers Association and the Vermont Rail Action Network today jointly called for the swift restoration of Amtrak’s Adirondack train to Montreal along with Amtrak’s Maple Leaf train to Toronto with the November 8th reopening of the U.S.—Canadian border for vaccinated travelers.
ESPA Testifies Before NYS Assembly Transportation Committee
ESPA was honored to provide testimony at the public hearing on Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation held by the NYS Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation on September 22, 2021.
Lakeshore Rail Alliance Launched in Erie
ESPA is very pleased to be a founding organizational member of the new Lakeshore Rail Alliance.
Amtrak Signs $7.3 billion Deal for 83 Multi-Powered Trains for its Northeastern Services
Amtrak is contracting with California-based Siemens Mobility Inc.to manufacture a new fleet of up to 83 multi-powered modern trains that will be leveraged for state and northeast services.
Schenectady Rail Service Press Conference
ESPA seeks restoration of Amtrak’s Empire Corridor Trains to Schenectady, Syracuse and Western New York. Supports Saratoga Springs Chamber of Commerce’s Interest in a Third Daily Roundtrip to Schenectady and Saratoga in 2022.
Rail Supporters Want State to Push Ahead on Improvement Plans
Some worry that the Empire State may be at a disadvantage in infrastructure funding since, federal documents suggest the state is lagging in its planning and wish list for federally funded rail improvements.
Buffalo News Calls For Completion of Empire Corridor EIS
'As Biden focuses on improving rail service, State DOT must finish delayed study...'
Amtrak Releases 15-Year Vision for New Corridors
Amtrak has released a report detailing its 15-year vision to improve 25 existing routes, add 39 new routes. The railroad calls on Congress for $75B in support for its vision.
CSX Takes Controlled Sidings Out-of-Service Along the Empire Corridor
ESPA is highly concerned to have learned that CSX has recently removed from service the majority of the ‘controlled’ (i.e. signaled) sidings located between Hoffmans and Buffalo.
Unfinished study could threaten funding for upstate passenger rail upgrades
Without the study, passenger train advocates fear New York State won't be able to take full advantage of the geyser of rail dollars expected later this year.
Charlie Poltenson Retires from NYSDOT's Passenger Rail Bureau
ESPA extends its sincere thanks and best wishes to Charlie Poltenson on his retirement from NYSDOT's Passenger Rail Bureau.
Governor Cuomo Announces Resumption of Metro-North Penn Station Access Project
Project moves forward after pause from COVID-19 and MTA 2020 funding uncertainty, the reopened process will select a firm to design and build four new Metro-North Railroad stations and make track upgrades in the Bronx.
Biden marks Amtrak's 50th anniversary in Philadelphia
"It’s an honor to celebrate Amtrak’s 50th anniversary. I look forward to a bright future for all American rail" – President Joe Biden
Saratoga Rail Service Press Conference – Friday April 30th 2021
Saratoga County Chamber and the Empire State Passenger Association look to NYSDOT and Amtrak to restart Ethan Allen line service and expand future Amtrak service to Saratoga Springs.
LIRR Studying Bi-mode Battery-Electric Trains
The trains would run off the existing DC third rail in electrified territory and then seamlessly switch to batteries in the current non-electrified diesel territory.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveils Penn Station Reconstruction Plans
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday, April 21 unveiled two new reconstruction options for transforming the current Penn Station.
Ushering in a new age for upstate and downstate NY — through high-speed rail
Opinion piece by State Senators Tim Kennedy of Buffalo (63-D) and Jeremy Cooney of Rochester (56-D) in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
Amtrak selects Siemens Mobility as the Preferred Bidder for the Next Generation of Corridor Equipment
Amtrak selects Siemens Mobility as the preferred bidder for the next generation of corridor equipment which will replace the Amfleet I cars in Northeastern service.
Don Nimphius, ESPA Regional Coordinator for Long Island: 1932-2021
Don Nimphius, long time ESPA Regional Coordinator for Long Island passed away this March before Annual Meeting
Question on Amtrak Guest Rewards Answered
At ESPA's annual meeting on March 13th, a member asked the Amtrak representatives about when their points and status levels in the Guest Rewards program would lapse, because of their drop in travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Need to replace Livingston Ave Bridge (LAB) gets call out from the Albany Times Union
The Albany Times Union ran a business article and opinion editorial on the need to replace the Livingston Ave Bridge (LAB) that carries Amtrak trains over the Hudson River between Rensselaer and Albany.
Governor Cuomo Announces Grand Opening of Moynihan Train Hall in New York City
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the grand opening of Moynihan Train Hall, a 255,000-square-foot train hall designed for the 21st century in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, expanding Penn Station west into the James A. Farley Post Office Building.
Metro-North & LIRR Mark Completion of PTC Implementation
Positive Train Control milestone was reached eight days ahead of a federally mandated deadline to have the safety overlay system functioning on all required lines and locomotives.
Readers sound off on bridge and tunnel plans: Let’s rethink our infrastructure
George Haikalis -- President of the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility and ESPA Manhattan Coordinator -- had a letter-to-the-editor printed in the New York Daily News on the nominated U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and building new rail tunnels in New York City.
MTA vote could open way for new trains upstate
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is expected to approve a contract for at least 19 new locomotives from Siemens, opening the way for the New York State Department of Transportation to exercise their options to purchase new locomotives to replace Amtrak dual-modes operating beyond its expected life span.
MTA selects Siemens to build new Dual Mode locomotives
This week, Metro-North is seeking MTA Board approval to award a $335 million contract to Siemens Mobility for the design and manufacture of 27 new dual mode locomotives, the first in a new line of engines on a contract that includes options for up to 144 additional locomotives.
Amtrak: Clock is ticking for 110-year-old Hudson River rail tunnels
Work can't wait for planned Gateway Project replacement, according to not-yet-finished document reviewed by Associated Press
"Hey, what about Albany?" By the Times Union Editorial Board
A passenger rail expansion plan in Massachusetts stops short of the state line. Bringing it to the Capital Region could benefit both the Bay and Empire states.
New Buffalo Exchange Street Station Opens in Downtown Buffalo
Build on the historic site of the previous Exchange Street stations, the new station was constructed on time and on budget, being twice the size of the city's previous rail station.
Adirondack Rail-Trail Construction Begins
NYSDOT finally broke ground on the Adirondack Rail Trail at the start of November. Both the rail-trail and planned railroad upgrades are part of the 2020 Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor Unit Management Plan, which aims to bolster tourism and outdoor recreation along the 119-mile travel corridor.
Alan S. Boyd, former Amtrak president and the first USDOT secretary, dies at the age of 98
Mr. Boyd was a champion of passenger rail service, a focus that brought him to Amtrak in 1978. In the 1980s he was also part of an effort to bring the Japanese Shinkansen to California for the LA-San Diego 'Surf Line' corridor.
With COVID-19 pandemic cutbacks, some Amtrak trains now sold out
The Albany Times Union reports that Amtrak's move this month to cut train frequencies, and costs, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has left accommodations on some long-distance trains sold out.
Content Studio Publishes 2020/2021 Edition of Amtrak’s New York By Rail Magazine
The 2020/2021 100-page magazine edition of New York By Rail, an official Amtrak publication for 17 years running, was published in late September by Content Studio @ Martinelli Custom Publishing.
Rail Supporter NYS Senator Joe Bruno Dead at 91, 1929 – 2020
Retired NY State Senator Joseph L. Bruno (R - Rensselaer) is dead at the age of 91. The Senator was a good friend of passenger rail – including securing funding for the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station.
APTA Study Finds No Correlation Between Transit Use & Spread of COVID-19 Virus
A study commissioned by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) says no correlation has been found between use of public transport and the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Amtrak Announces Positive Train Control Completion
“Completing PTC installation and implementation is a key component of Amtrak’s overarching commitment to the safety performance of intercity passenger rail for our customers, employees and the communities we serve,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President Chief Safety Officer Steve Predmore. “As leaders in PTC installation, Amtrak is pleased to achieve this milestone, and we will continue to work together with all of our partners to improve safety across the rail network.”
Where the Railroad Meets the Farmer
A train trip through Upstate New York aboard Amtrak takes you past many farms; fields of corn, apple orchards, and dairy cows flashing by outside the window. Yet there is one place along the Empire Corridor where the state’s cornucopia of agricultural abundance comes in direct contact with our intercity passenger rail system – the farmers market at the Utica train station.
COVID-19 is Not the End of Passenger Rail
As rail advocates, we have been seeing over the past months versions of this anti-rail argument printed recently in a opinion piece from the Washington Times stating that the plans proposed by former-VP Joe Biden to build up America’s public transit and passenger rail infrastructure and services is now unworkable because of the plunge in ridership during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that still ravages America. Of course what is ignored by these arguments is the equally collapsed demand for airlines and rideshare companies.
Amtrak Inspector General to Examine Cost-Sharing on State-Supported Routes
Amtrak's Office of Inspector General is initiating an audit of Amtrak’s processes for managing cost-sharing on state-supported routes. They're objective will be to evaluate the company’s actions to address longstanding concerns with the PRIIA 209 cost-sharing methodology and the company’s billing process with its State partners.
Stimulating the NY-NJ-CT Region’s Economy by Advancing Cost-Effective Transport Strategies
Long before the Covid-19 pandemic devastated the health and economic well-being of the 23 million persons living in the NY-NJ-CT urban region, NYC-based nonprofit IRUM called for advancing, affordable, cost effective transportation infrastructure projects and sensible operating strategies that would greatly improve the region’s mobility and stimulate its economy.
Scenic Hudson, U.S. Reps Urge Amtrak To Preserve Access To The Hudson River
WMAC reports that: "Amtrak is back at the drawing board with plans for a fencing project along the Hudson River. Railroad officials say the project is to improve safety and will include preserving public access to the river. Elected officials and environmentalists are concerned about just how much access will be included, and what it will look like"
To Utica for a Haircut, via Amtrak
A train enthusiast and ESPA member Kent Patterson takes Amtrak to Utica for a haircut at the Union Station Barber Shop and stays at the historic Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica amid the coronavirus outbreak. Blog Post from New York By Rail Magazine.
Traveling on Amtrak Amid COVID-19
Recent University of Buffalo graduate travels on Amtrak during the COVID-19 era to get home for her supposed college graduation weekend. Here's what she wants to share. Blog Post from New York By Rail Magazine.
Senator Markey Introduces “BRAIN TRAIN” Act to Significantly Expand Intercity Passenger Rail
This legislation if passed by the US Congress would authorizes $5 billion annually, for a total of $25 billion over five years, to invest in “high-performance” intercity passenger rail service that will connect communities within a state, across states, and around the country.
MassDOT holds East-West Study Advisory Committee Meeting on Zoom
Today on June 10th, 2020 meeting of the East-West Study Advisory Committee was held online on Zoom. The meeting was recorded and posted online, with the presentation posted on the East-West Rail website.
FRA Announces the Availability of $291 Million for Intercity Passenger Rail Infrastructure
ESPA hopes that Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will not allow a great opportunity to fund continued investment in the infrastructure that is the foundation of our Upstate NY intercity rail passenger rail service
Serviced Detoured from Buffalo Exchange Street Station for Station Construction
Track and signaling construction work as part of the Buffalo-Exchange Street Station project will require temporary detour of service from downtown.
Amtrak Celebrates 49th Anniversery
In honor of its 49th anniversery on May 1, 2020, Amtrak's new President/CEO William Flynn released a YouTube video message!
Amtrak Requires Masks
Effective today, Amtrak will require all customer-facing employees wear a facial covering of some kind — a mask if available— and strongly encourages all other employees and passengers to wear coverings.
Amtrak Nationwide Service Changes
Amtrak Goes To Pre-Packaged Meals On Western Trains; Makes Other Temporary Changes To Long-Distance Service
William Flynn Named New Amtrak President
New Amtrak CEO/President William (Bill) Flynn to take over from Richard Anderson on April 15.

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