Passenger Trains > Empire Service Adjustments - Maple Leaf and Adirondack

The Summer Infrastructure renewal for 2019 at NYP has officially started! Among the adjustments the morning Maple Leaf and Adirondack will be combined leaving NYP on the Maple Leaf’s schedule and then split at Albany. 

However, I think the Maple Leaf may just be getting three extra high density Amfleet I coaches to handle the Adirondack’s passengers to Albany as opposed to the standard full Maple Leaf train set + the standard full Adirondack train set. These extra cars at the front of the train presumably will be removed at Albany (a standard practice for operating an extra high density coach on the Adirondack) and then the Adirondack’s passengers transferred to the awaiting standard Adirondack train set awaiting cross the platform at Albany. As passengers board the Adirondack consist in Albany, they then get shuffled into the approrpriate cars (grouped by destination). Conductors on the Adirondack are VERY specific about this so they don’t have to open all the doors on the coaches 

However, on Thursday, June 27th, Amtrak had to do a shuffle to prepare for the 28th. As a result, the Adirondack’s full and standard northbound consist was in Albany, and a substitute train set for the northbound Adirondack, train 69, was being used from NYP to Montreal. This caused some confusion among the Amtrak crew and a sold out Adirondack train on Thursday June 27th. The substitute set this day was ultimately four high density Amfleet I’s - no Amfleet II’s - and a half business/half cafe car. Crew couldn’t figure out how to utilize the half business class car (on the rear) despite a completely sold out train from NYP to Schenectady. The usual turnover of a mass exodus at Saratoga Springs left those bound for Canada that had booked early and a handful of people bound for stations onwards in upstate NY.

It’s nice that the train was sold out till Schenectady (Saratoga Springs to be more precise), but Schenectady has multiple train frequencies, For this once a day train - passengers north of Schenectady (yes, Ethan Allen provides a second frequency as far as Saratoga Springs on the same route), ends up shutting them out to downstate passengers. And this is a NY State funded train. IT just makes it look like no one travels farther north and then bad data or assumptions get made when truth be told it is supply/capacity that is the issue.

New York nor Vermont have been able to manage passengers properly travelling further north on the Adirondack or Ethan Allen Express, for that matter. Passengers trying to get last minute or tickets a few days prior to say Port Henry, Port Kent, Plattsburgh, or even Montreal and Rutland (for Ethan Allen) are shut out because the train has reached sold out status with some sort of station combination south of Schenectady or Saratoga Spriings, For a while back in the early 2000’s the State of New York and Amtrak were running morning Saratoga Springs/Schenectady round-trip runs, even if just summer. But that’s no more.      

I found it to be more interesting that the Adirondack hit sold out status on a rather mundane regular summer Thursday in June, the substitute equipment really having no major effect on things as the Amfleet II’s were essentially replaced with high density Amfleet I’s.

What will the near-term and interim future look like with a combined Maple Leaf and Adirondack and shuffle at Albany! How to solve supply and demand for passengers truly in the “once a day train district.”  

In a normal summer,. which we have not had since 2017, the Adirondack is 6 cars all the way, including 2 Amfleet-2 coaches,.. 

I avoided 69's new weekday schedule. I go to Albany on the Ethan Allen the day before, and layup in Albany. I was not issued any notification or new ticket. There was nothing to change.

How do they stock 69's cafe car starting from Albany, which does not have a commissary ? 
I would think 68 runs through as normal, but I don't know.
If 69 from ALbany uses a standard Empre corridor 5 car train set, and returns to NY as 68, how does the 4th coach and biz-dinette get to Albany for the make-up 69 ?
What do they do with the 3 cut coaches from 63 at Albany ? 

Getting up at 4am, to head to the city, first call a cab to the station, trust NJT not to cancel my train, then to go through Canadian check in and line up process from 6am and on - is too stress much stress annd aggravation for me.

I'll get up later, stock up on food for the trip at Hannaford supermarket, and try to avoid the overpriced high carb and sodium cafe car cuisine.

Are the horses running at Saratoga?  Might explain the sold-out status.

IDK, but I think the hotel rates shoot up around July 15. 
Normal 69  summerconsist is 2 Amfleet-2 + 3 Amfleet-1.  So 336 seats in inventory from NY to Albany gets cut to 216, at least on weekdays. On July 4 and weekends, it runs on its normal schedule but  both 63 and 69 are sold out on July 4. 

Last year, when they combined these two trains, I witnessed their separation at Albany.

What a mess -- the process took over and hour. - just to change locomotives (no switching of the train itself was necessary)

I realize this is only a "sample of one" -- but, I believe Albany takes forever to separate the Lake Shore every day.

That was 2 years ago. Last they each ran about 40 minutes earlier from GCT.

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joemvcnj Wrote:
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> IDK, but I think the hotel rates shoot up around
> July 15.
(SNIP)

You are correct.  The racing season starts on July 11, and closes on September 2

https://www.saratogaracetrack.com/schedule/

Amtrak used to put an extra seasonal train on the summer schedule during racing season from Saratoga Springs to NYP. The last one of those though operated around 2005 maybe, but when re-doing the Saratoga Springs train station, it was noted that Amtrak wanted storage tracks, which they got, for potential overnighting of trains. 

This happens time and time again for passengers wanting to go to Rutland, VT or upstate (north of Saratoga) NY. Seats get sold out by those living or working in NYC taking vacations or escaping to their weekend houses along the Hudson River. Now the Friday trains are often the Thursday trains since people can do work remotely, especially summers. 

The Saratoga Racing season was extended this year to have an earlier start. Years ago, Saratoga only saw racing in the month of August but the season's start has been moved forward numerous times due to it's popularity. At one point in the late 90's or early 2000's Amtrak extended a Saturday and Sunday Rensselaer train to make a Saratoga roundtrip during race season. With extra Empire equipment on the weekends this should be a no brainer as Saratoga sees a lot of attendance from Downstate. Also, when the turbos were around, everyday a Rensselaer train originated from Schenectady in the AM and ended in Schenectady in the PM. With the second track in place there is no reason this could not be done. Would just need to add and subtract an engine in Rensselaer for the back up moves or just operate with cab car.

The Lake Shore typically is combined or separated very efficiently in Rensselaer. I have seen 49 and 449 combined and leave within 20 minutes. 

It's all up to NYS-DOT now. That said, they have their 4 station tracks in Albany, and Amtrak does the dispatching as far as Schenectady. Should be easier than ever now. But seems the only enhancement on the table now is an extended service to Pittsfield. 

CP4743 Wrote:
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> The Saratoga Racing season was extended this year
> to have an earlier start. Years ago, Saratoga only
> saw racing in the month of August but the season's
> start has been moved forward numerous times due to
> it's popularity. At one point in the late 90's or
> early 2000's Amtrak extended a Saturday and Sunday
> Rensselaer train to make a Saratoga roundtrip
> during race season. With extra Empire equipment on
> the weekends this should be a no brainer as
> Saratoga sees a lot of attendance from Downstate.
> Also, when the turbos were around, everyday a
> Rensselaer train originated from Schenectady in
> the AM and ended in Schenectady in the PM. With
> the second track in place there is no reason this
> could not be done. Would just need to add and
> subtract an engine in Rensselaer for the back up
> moves or just operate with cab car.
>
> The Lake Shore typically is combined or separated
> very efficiently in Rensselaer. I have seen 49 and
> 449 combined and leave within 20 minutes. 

That extra train might utilize an extra bar car or three.  The Saratoga crowd enjoys dressing up, and having a drink or two.

Maybe even add a few cars to an existing Empire train, and add a locomotive at Renssalaer.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> That extra train might utilize an extra bar car or
> three.  The Saratoga crowd enjoys dressing up,
> and having a drink or two.
>
> Maybe even add a few cars to an existing Empire
> train, and add a locomotive at Renssalaer.

This implies a marketing department that understands how to sell and who to sell to.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That extra train might utilize an extra bar car
> or
> > three.  The Saratoga crowd enjoys dressing up,
> > and having a drink or two.
> >
> > Maybe even add a few cars to an existing Empire
> > train, and add a locomotive at Renssalaer.
>
> This implies a marketing department that
> understands how to sell and who to sell to.

Hmmm. Well, Amtrak did have a bunch of Amfleet Cafe cars around that they didn't know what to do with!!! Some should still be modified into 1/2 cafe and 1/2 business class. This is still one of the nicest cars out there!!!

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That extra train might utilize an extra bar car
> or
> > three.  The Saratoga crowd enjoys dressing up,
> > and having a drink or two.
> >
> > Maybe even add a few cars to an existing Empire
> > train, and add a locomotive at Renssalaer.
>
> This implies a marketing department that
> understands how to sell and who to sell to.

Hmmm. Well, Amtrak did have a bunch of Amfleet Cafe cars around that they didn't know what to do with!!! Some should still be modified into 1/2 cafe and 1/2 business class. This is still one of the nicest cars out there!!! I understand why the Adirondack can't have business class like this, but, it would still sell well! 

The Adirondack drops a high density Amfleet coach at Albany at present. The Vermonter does something similiar at New Haven. From observations this past week, I think they should keep these cars attached, and the conductors on these trains agreed. I kow where they can find a Horizon and Amfleet coach!!!