Looking for advice on New York State trains

[Rookie Rider]

Hello

I'm new to Amtrak, used it to travel from my home in Connecticut to upstate NY for the first time last month. I will be a frequent traveler from New London, CT to Utica, NY in the months and years to come, needing to transfer at Penn Station-NY of course.

First, what should I know about the upstate lines during the snowy winters?

Second, any specific trains I should avoid?

to Utica

63 - Maple Leaf

287 - Empire Service

283 - Empire Service

49 - Lakeshore Lmtd

to NYP

48 - Lakeshore Lmtd

284 - Empire Service

286 - Empire Service

64 - Maple Leaf

Thanks

 

[Steve4031]

48 going east might be problematic do to delays, put preferable because of the full service diner. 49 also has a full service diner. 48 and 49 also have a longer stop in Albany with more potential for delay. As far as coach seating, 48 and 49 might have more legroom if you are riding in a long distance coach with leg rests.

The other trains are identical, accept if one of them has turboliner equipment. They have a shorter stop in albany. If you can identify which trains have turboliner equipment on them, chose those trains if they go all the way to Utica.

Winters would probably affect 48 and 49 the most becuase those trains go to and from Chicago.

 

[P40Power]

The Tuboliner equipment is only used on the 9:00AM Albany - NYP train and the NYP - ALB train which arrives in ALB at 4:15P. I doubt if you ride a through train to Utica you will have Turboliner equipment. 48 is not noted for its timekeeping thats for sure, but 49, especially now without the Mail and Express keeps to its schedule quite well westbound most of the time. I would definatly choose 49 going west because of its better amentities as mentioned by Steve. In the winters the lake effect snows can really delay the trains around the Buffalo area quite badly, especially the Lake Shore Limited. Nor Easters can also effect trains in the area, but most of the time local trains do alright in the winter. Toilet freezings are quite common.

 

[Superliner Diner]

If you are going from Connecticut to Utica, you might also consider taking one of the New Haven-Springfield shuttle trains to Springfield, and then catch the Boston section of the Lake Shore. The Boston and New York City sections of this train join in Albany (or split there eastbound). This might shave off some miles for you and let you bypass New York City's Penn Station in at least one direction.

 

[Rookie Rider]

Superliner,

I was told by an Amtrak agent on the phone (not "Julie") that it wasn't a garunteed connection. Could someone enlighten me on that as well?

 

[Superliner Diner]

Superliner,I was told by an Amtrak agent on the phone (not "Julie") that it wasn't a garunteed connection. Could someone enlighten me on that as well?

They will guarantee a connection with layover time of more than an hour. The internet reservations service should allow you to do this. As an example, if you use Train #470 on a weekday from New Haven to Springfield, it gets there at 11:35 AM. You then have 2-3/4 hours layover until your next train, #449 (the Lake Shore Limited) from Springfield to Utica. Weekends you would take Train #460, which gets to Springfield 12:05 PM, still more than two hours before #449's 2:10 PM departure.

Since the New Haven-Springfield trains are unreserved, it does not matter which one you take, but the above ones are the closest connections that are available.

Eastbound, the Lake Shore Limited (#448) is supposed to get to Springfield at 2:40 PM. If it gets there on time, you have a 4:05 PM Springfield departure for New Haven on weekdays only, and then a daily departure at 5:05 PM, although the latter is the all-reserved Vermonter.