Halting of Amtrak's New York-Montreal train service 'very disappointing' for tourist industry

Montreal's tourist industry is dismayed by the suspension, in the middle of the summer season, of American company Amtrak's train service linking Montreal and New York. The interruption could last until mid-September.

"It's very disappointing because summer is the most important tourist season in Montreal. And between New York and Montreal, there is no rail alternative," said Tourisme Montréal spokeswoman Aurélie de Blois.

"So it's a major constraint for many travelers," she said. "Some people don't want to fly, or don't have a car. And if they do take their car, they'll have to worry about their car at their destination. We know there's not much parking, so it's pretty complicated."

Amtrak had relaunched its New York-Montreal route last April after having put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the company announced on June 23 that trains 68 and 69 on the Adirondack line will now only run between New York and Albany "until further notice." The company has ceased service to a dozen stops, including Montreal, Saratoga Springs and Plattsburgh in New York State.

Amtrak based its decision on the speed restrictions imposed by Canadian National (CN) on its rails due to the heat. This now means there's a speed limit of 16 km/h over a distance of some 60 kilometres, between the Canada-U.S. border and Montreal's Central Station.

According to Tourisme Montréal, some 60,000 American visitors travel to the city each year via the Adirondack line.

"The northeastern U.S. is a hyper-important market for Tourisme Montréal. It's a historic market for our organization. The Americans are our biggest market share. By 2023, we're expecting some two million Americans in Montreal," said de Blois in an interview.

Nevertheless, the tourism organization does not believe that the discontinuation of train service will discourage travelers who wish to visit the city, even if they have to opt for a less environmentally-friendly means of transport. Perhaps they'll offset their carbon footprint in other ways, de Blois suggested.

SERVICE COULD RESUME IN SEPTEMBER

Discussions have been held with CN and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to explore different solutions, an Amtrak spokesperson told The Canadian Press in an email on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, Amtrak, CN and NYSDOT have not found a workable solution for this summer that would prevent our customers from experiencing significant delays of up to four hours, or even being stranded in the middle of their trip," said Jason Abrams.

He mentioned that regular service on the line could resume in mid-September, when CN is expected to lift its heat-related restrictions.

"It's possible that the heat restrictions could be lifted before then if local temperatures drop, and Amtrak, with the support of its partners, could then restore service sooner than expected," Abrams said.

In the meantime, starting July 24, the Adirondack will resume service to the Saratoga Springs station, located nearly 60 km north of Albany.

For its part, CN said it was applying these speed restrictions to both passenger and freight traffic, due to weather conditions in southern Quebec.

"During periods of intense heat, railways implement speed restrictions on various parts of their network to ensure the safety of rail operations due to the risk of thermal expansion," the Montreal-based company said, via email.

These measures are also implemented during periods of intense cold.

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION UNDER STUDY

Amtrak says it is working with "CN and NYSDOT to develop a long-term solution so that Amtrak trains can run to and from Montreal in the coming summers," which is reassuring to for Tourisme Montréal. The organization would also like to look into ways of optimizing the various rail lines in the metropolis.

"We'd like them to be smoother, more frequent and more diverse. If there were more rail links to Montreal, we think it could be beneficial for tourism in the city," de Blois said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 11, 2023.