Empire Service boarding at Buffalo Depew

[drevil0208]

I'm considering taking my son on a Buffalo - NYC - Washington - Chicago - Buffalo roundtrip in March. We'd be driving from Toronto and parking at Buffalo Depew. How busy are Empire Service trains when boarding at Depew? Is it likely we'd be able to get seats together? We'd be getting the morning train that leaves around 7:00.

Thanks

 

[Bob Dylan]

Why not just take the Maple Leaf from Toronto to NYP? You could use the Subway or Go Train to Union Station in Toronto, then enjoy a nice ride in the nice 2x1 Seating in the *Business Class/ Cafe Car from Toronto to New York!

Note that the Maple Leaf uses Amtrak Equipment but is a joint VIA/ Amtrak operated Train with VIA Crews operating between Toronto and Niagara Falls, Ontario and Amtrak Crews between Niagara Falls, ON and NYP.

You would receive 2 paper tickets since VIA and Amtrak's e- ticketing systems aren't comparable!

*Technically VIA doesn't have Business Class between Toronto and Niagara Falls but you'll still ride in the BizClass/ Cafe Car to the Border and VIA only charges $1 extra over the fare for this!!!

 

[MikefromCrete]

Since the Empire train originates in Niagara Falls, I would imagine there will be plenty of seats available.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

The train should have plenty of empty seats in Buffalo. The Niagara Falls station isn't very heavly used. When I lived up there the locals who lived in the Niagara Falls area used to say it was simply faster to drive to and from Buffalo then endure the back up move into NFL.

 

[neroden]

You would get seats together for sure. It's pretty busy at Depew, but they have to have some room left for the hordes of people to board at Rochester and Syracuse, you know!

 

[JeffW]

Depew should be fine, and I'm fairly confident you would have seats together. Like they say above, it starts at Niagara, so you'll be fine at Depew. My son and I have done a couple of day trips from Rochester to Syracuse, and we always end up with seats together both ways. Granted, he's two years old, so the conductors always make an effort for us.

Interesting dilemma posed by others. Sure, taking the Maple Leaf from Toronto to NYC would be fine, but on your return from Chicago, you'll ride the Lake Shore Limited, which would drop you off in Depew for a 6-hour layover waiting for the Maple Leaf. Depew is a safe station, but near the end of your trip, I can't imagine sitting in a particularly mind-numbing station where the only close attraction is an electric substation. On top of that, the LSL is frequently late, and while unlikely, there's a chance you might actually miss your connection.

Your other option is to ride all the way to Rochester to meet up with the Maple Leaf there. Stop in Rochester, sample the local cuisine (Garbage Plate--look it up), enjoy the balmy weather (all the while sledding in the snow!), and then head back to Toronto. If you miss your connection, I know plenty of people who would love an excuse to drive to Canada.

 

[neroden]

The true train obsessive would ride the Maple Leaf to NY. On the way back, said obsessive would take the Wolverine from Chicago to Detroit, get a taxi across the border to Windsor (you have 2 hrs. 45 minutes to make the connection), and take VIA back from Windsor. But I totally understand driving to Buffalo-Depew instead.