Passenger Trains > Albany track outage and service plan

The empire line between Albany and Schenectady is closed due to a building near the tracks in Albany in danger of collapse threatening the tracks.

From 7/29 until at least 8/5:

Empire Service trains will run New York - Albany only with service west of Albany canceled. No bus bridge or substitution announced as of yet.

The Ethan Allen Express will operate between Burlington and Saratoga Springs. Bus service will be provided between Saratoga Springs and Albany.

The Lake Shore Limited will operate between Chicago and Schenectady. Bus service will be provided between Schenectady and Boston for Boston passengers with bus bridge service and  connecting train service at Albany for New York passengers.

EDIT: 7/30 new info
Maple Leaf trains will resume operation between Toronto and Schenectady. Bus bridge service will be provided between Schenectady and Albany.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/22 02:25 by lordsigma.

That's better than nothing! Be nice to at least get the Maple Leaf on a bus-bridge - to serve upstate NY and into Toronto. Likely a shortage in trying to find buses people to drive the buses. 

This is so pathetic.  Like a bus bridge from Sche to Albany would be that difficult.   Or the MIA transpotation secy could tell CSX to furnish a pilot so they could run via the west shore to the post road connection  and back up to A-R station. 
No service (other than the LSL) from albany thru buffalo for at least a week is just the usual totally irresponsible amtrak these days

Why not run the lake shore CHI-CLE-PIT- NYP and connect Boston and Albany passengers at New York Penn?

Then a stub train from CLE to Schenectady if we feel real brave

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/22 17:02 by amtrakbill.

Why not tear down the building?

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Why not tear down the building?


It would be a nice challenge for the guys that do the "precision" implosions.

What about having a B-1 fly over to drop some 2000 lb Mk-84s? 

pdt Wrote:
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> This is so pathetic.  Like a bus bridge from Sche
> to Albany would be that difficult.   Or the MIA
> transpotation secy could tell CSX to furnish a
> pilot so they could run via the west shore to the
> post road connection  and back up to A-R
> station. 
> No service (other than the LSL) from albany thru
> buffalo for at least a week is just the usual
> totally irresponsible amtrak these days

You are making a lot of assumptions that we don’t have any information on and making a decision on who to blame. First this is NYS funded service do THEY want the busses and associated costs - no busses very well may be their choice. You are also assuming that busses are readily available for 5 round trips a day and Amtrak just isn’t doing it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/22 17:47 by lordsigma.

In theory, the LSL and Empire west of Albany trains could run via Selkirk yard, skipping Albany.  Could bus Albany passengers to Hudson.

Dave

Assign a 24/7 Inspector/Flagger to the scene and issue a "Form B" or other train control form that requires all trains to stop unless cleared through.
As is done with almost any construction project with the potential to foul the tracks.
This would reduce the risk to the few seconds of actually passing the location.

This is exactly what should happen!

Posted from iPhone

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> Assign a 24/7 Inspector/Flagger to the scene and
> issue a "Form B" or other train control form that
> requires all trains to stop unless cleared
> through.
> As is done with almost any construction project
> with the potential to foul the tracks.
> This would reduce the risk to the few seconds of
> actually passing the location.

Ding Ding Ding.   I think we have a winner.

Seems like an appropriate emergency for Governor Houchul to get involved!

This is the building that is ready to fall onto the tracks, just off the west end of the Amtrak bridge over the Hudson River.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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So it appears now the Maple Leaf will also get a bus bridge. SDY - ALB like the LSL. Train will run Toronto - Schenectady.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/22 02:29 by lordsigma.

I suppose the afternoon scheduled arrival of 48 means it becomes that same evening's 49, running with 2 train sets ?

64 must sit overnight in the station to become next day 63 ?

Where do they wye the trains ?

Posted from Android

Here's #48 stopping at Elkhart at 0028 EDT Saturday 7/30/22 - 12 car consist (1 longer than normal) pulled by back to back P42s that can easily run around the consist at Schenectady. In the Google Earth aerial capture of 6/25/18, the blue circle highlights the single to double track interlocking at the west of the station platform and the red circle highlights a double track universal interlocking east of the platform so running around the consist at Schenectady would be pretty straight forward with back to back locomotives but I don't know how crews will go about cleaning and re-provisioning between runs. If everything is running OT, there should be 5 hours between arrival of 48 at Schenectady at 1415 and departure of 49 at 1933. I'm assuming that the Boston sections 448/449 will continue to be bustituted until Albany ops go back to normal and CSX finishes B&A track work.

Railrat status tracker indicates that 48 has departed Cleveland OT at 0550 Saturday 7/30/22. Amtrak Track a train graphically shows 48 being just east of Cleveland at 0600 but offers no schedule details.

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Oh, come on folk. Take the trains down the West Shore to Weehawken and charter ferry service to get people across the Hudson. Only problem? Reality.

FYI, the building in question is the former Central Warehouse, what had been a refrigerated facility that closed many years ago. It had its own internal siding off of the NYC main and may have had sidings off of the D&H main that passes below the NYC along the west side of the building.  I think NYC may have owned it at one point. 

If you rode the Adirondack back in the 70s, you got a very thorough look at this building. You passed it three times on your way out of Albany. Once on the mainline westbound, to a point where the NYC/D&H "Bull Run Connector" joined, then another look as you slowly backed down the Bull Run to the D&H main. Then a third look as you proceeded north on the D&H toward Montreal. 

As a former refrigerated facility, it had an extensive network of copper refrigerant pipes. About 5 years ago, a copper thief was at work in the building  and his torch set some of the insulation on fire. It was a big smoky mess for several hours. 

mp51w Wrote:
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> Seems like an appropriate emergency for Governor
> Houchul to get involved!
She is too busy organizing protesters to attack Zeldin at campaign appearances.