Resumption of Amtrak service to Canada (2022-2023)

[zephyr17]

A little bit of news about the eventual restoration of the Adirondack

News photo: Preparing for Amtrak’s return to Montreal - Trains

MONTREAL — Operating as Amtk 694 (the train number Canadian National has always assigned to the southbound Adirondack while on CN rails), an Amtrak requalification run heads to Montreal’s Central Station on Thursday as it passes the mostly drained Peel Basin. While Amtrak service to Vancouver...

www.trains.com

Well, some good news, although they were doing some qualification runs late last winter on the Cascades, IIRC, but resumption was still months away.

Still, it makes me think that at least the track issues on the Rouses Point Sub may have been resolved?

 

[Amtrak25]

Well, some good news, although they were doing some qualification runs late last winter on the Cascades, IIRC, but resumption was still months away.

Still, it makes me think that at least the track issues on the Rouses Point Sub may have been resolved?

ESPA has said half the trackage is good for 10MPH. It had been 30MPH where there was jointed rail and 49MPH in most other locales.

It also crawls around curves in St Jean, Brossard, and Castle Gardens. It seems the Rouses Pt sub is a compost heap of various lines stitched together, one segment being the former Montreal & Southern Counties interurban.

So if 24 of the miles goes from 30 to 15 MPH for passenger trains, that's about 50 minutes more running time.

When I rode a Cascade Talgo to Vancouver in 2006, most of the Canadian side was also quite a slow schlep.

 

[IndyLions]

ESPA has said half the trackage is good for 10MPH. It had been 30MPH where there was jointed rail and 49MPH in most other locales.

It also crawls around curves in St Jean, Brossard, and Castle Gardens. It seems the Rouses Pt sub is a compost heap of various lines stitched together, one segment being the former Montreal & Southern Counties interurban.

So if 24 of the miles goes from 30 to 15 MPH for passenger trains, that's about 50 minutes more running time.

When I rode a Cascade Talgo to Vancouver in 2006, most of the Canadian side was also quite a slow schlep.

So are these wonders of high speed rail privately held or publicly owned tracks?

 

[MontanaJim]

Well, some good news, although they were doing some qualification runs late last winter on the Cascades, IIRC, but resumption was still months away.

Still, it makes me think that at least the track issues on the Rouses Point Sub may have been resolved?

i think all the qualification runs mean is that Amtrak may believe that its at least possible that the line can be resumed at some point. Crews have to keep qualified on the line and do periodic runs as such. I dont think a return of the line at anytime real soon is imminent despite such qualification runs. And its not guaranteed service will ever return.

 

[zephyr17]

i think all the qualification runs mean is that Amtrak may believe that its at least possible that the line can be resumed at some point. Crews have to keep qualified on the line and do periodic runs as such. I dont think a return of the line at anytime real soon is imminent despite such qualification runs. And its not guaranteed service will ever return.

Yeah, they were doing qualification runs to Vancouver in February and service didn't resume until September 26th.

 

[zephyr17]

When I rode a Cascade Talgo to Vancouver in 2006, most of the Canadian side was also quite a slow schlep.

It may have seemed slow, but most of it is at least 30 mph. The Fraser Bridge is slow, and there is a speed restriction through White Rock because of heavy pedestrian traffic on the beach promenade right beside the tracks.

That isn't a secondary line, it is BNSF's mainline route into Canada and their route to the Robert's Bank coal terminal.

 

[west point]

Proposals to use CP have merit but if the tracks around the border are as bad as ever then time to fix them no matter which route is used.

 

[zephyr17]

Proposals to use CP have merit but if the tracks around the border are as bad as ever then time to fix them no matter which route is used.

While I do not fully understand "...if the tracks around the border are as bad as ever then time to fix them no matter which route is used." I will say that the CP connection at Rouses Point is a mainline connection (insofar as the former D&H itself can be considered a mainline) and the primary connection to CP's former D&H. CN's interchange at Rouses Point is very lightly used. They are maintained at levels appropriate to their use, with the CP line maintained to a higher standard than the CN line. While you might not be able to break any speed records on the CP, it allows higher speeds than 10 mph.

 

[Amtrak25]

Proposals to use CP have merit but if the tracks around the border are as bad as ever then time to fix them no matter which route is used.

I don't know what you mean about "tracks around the border", but it is CN's track north of Rousses Pt that is at 10MPH, which Amtrak need not use at all if they rerouted from there on CP to Lucien L'Allier, the legacy route of the D&H (one town along the way is named after it as "Delson"), part of which is already used by EXO commuter trains, and all the track is fine.

 

[JWM]

The logical next step is to get the Mayor of Montreal, Valerie Plante, the head of the tourist office and the M.P.'s whose ridings are along the route to get to the federal transportation head in Ottawa and also Prime Minister Trudeau. CN will get the message and upgrade the tracks.

 

[Amtrak25]

And the upstate NY Congressional delegation (read: Stefanik) needs to start barking at CN, not at Amtrak, which they did in July, but we as yet to hear any answer.

 

[MontanaJim]

The logical next step is to get the Mayor of Montreal, Valerie Plante, the head of the tourist office and the M.P.'s whose ridings are along the route to get to the federal transportation head in Ottawa and also Prime Minister Trudeau. CN will get the message and upgrade the tracks.

maybe the trans head in Ottawa is too preoccupied with buffer cars these days SMH.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR's NOTE: More than a dozen posts on border crossing experience have been moved to a more appropriate thread for them at:

Canadian border crossing requirements, procedures and experiences on Amtrak

Just to further complicate matters Canada today extended incoming travel measures, including the ArriveCan nonsense, to September 30: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/news/canada-extends-covid-19-border-measures-for-incoming-travellers/ar-AAZ0RiT?li=AAggNb9

www.amtraktrains.com

Please direct posts about border crossing experiences and procedures to the thread mentioned above and reserve this thread for discussing cross border service resumption issues

Thanks for your understanding, cooperation and participation.

 

[slasher-fun]

Adirondack to return in Q2 2023?

Amtrak's Adirondack train is returning to action in 2023

After multiple Amtrak staffing issues the train service will resume in the second quarter of 2023

www.mynbc5.com

 

[MontanaJim]

still pure speculation. A state senator is quoted. No word from Amtrak or Canadian authorities.

 

[Amtrak25]

Too early to get an adrenalin rush or butterflies in your stomach.

 

[zephyr17]

Adirondack to return in Q2 2023?

Amtrak's Adirondack train is returning to action in 2023

After multiple Amtrak staffing issues the train service will resume in the second quarter of 2023

www.mynbc5.com

Having seen the numerous rumors and delays on the resumption of Cascades service, I am not betting on the word of a state senator. A possible good omen, not much more than that.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Adirondack to return in Q2 2023?

Amtrak's Adirondack train is returning to action in 2023

After multiple Amtrak staffing issues the train service will resume in the second quarter of 2023

www.mynbc5.com

Besides Amtrak staffing, they will also need to get buy-in by CBSA and CBP as to how the border will be handled. That could take time getting the various bureaucracies onboard.

 

[Amtrak25]

Also needs to sign a contract with EXO to access Central Station.

CBSA and CBP were demanding on-board inspections be declared temporary and the pre-clearance facility in Montreal be signed in blood before they agree to anything. It hasn't even been fully designed yet nor funded.

I suspect this State Senator is merely showing he's "on it".

 

[Willbridge]

It is a sign of progress. When I started at ODOT in 1971 the Highway Committee in the Oregon House had just changed its name to the Transportation Committee. That was considered radical stuff. Having a state senator interested in getting stuff done is a step in the right direction.

 

[OBS]

In the RPA presentation last week, Amtrak VP stated they were shooting for Feb/ Mar 2023 for Adirondack resuming service.

 

[Amtrak25]

One of the 2 pairs of NYP-Albany trains being reinstated on Dec 5 are numbered 68 & 69, called Adirondack, and website says it has cafe service. Southbound is to run 45 minutes earlier than it did until March of 2020.

 

[Shanson]

Item update 12/14/22. Still quoting politicians, and not Amtrak:

Amtrak expected to resume Montreal-New York City train in the spring

The service was suspended in March 2020 as borders began closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

montrealgazette.com

 

[MontanaJim]

yep, though i believe an Amtrak spokesperson was quoted as saying they are hoping to resume service as soon as possible, but not before spring. I will say that all the chatter and speaking with multiple people i know in the rail world, it looks like the train is likely to return in 2023 but we shall see.

 

[fdaley]

On Thursday just before 4 p.m. I saw a 3-car Amfleet train heading south approaching Fort Edward. It wasn't the Ethan Allen, which had already gone through about two and a half hours earlier. The most obvious explanation would be some kind of test run for the Adirondack, which would normally be heading southbound at almost precisely that time.