The Adirondack Scenic Byway is back for Amtrak, but it’s moving at a slower pace

The closing of the US-Canada border was one of the most devastating measures taken in North America during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Amtrak, the US government-owned railroad company, was forced out of business. All three of its international services are to Canada. This week, the company brought back Adirondack service between New York City and Montreal, Canada, though, The journey is now 30 minutes longer due to lower speed limits, especially in Canada.

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First train to Montreal Amtrak’s Adirondack service has resumed left New York Monday morning. Northbound trains will leave New York City Penn station at 8:41 am each day and arrive in Montreal at 8:16 pm. The full ride, which takes about 11 hours and 35 minutes from start to finish, doesn’t intend to compete with a 100-minute ride. The service aims to serve the needs of communities along the way in the Hudson Valley and the Adirondack Mountains. However, the trip was slightly shorter before the pandemic at about 11 hours.

An Amtrak spokesperson told Jalopnik that the longer trip time is due to lower speed limits along the route imposed by the host rail lines, most of which are in Canada. The length of the path north of the border It is about 49 miles long. The Canadian National Railway owns the tracks used in Canada, and most of the Adirondack route in New York is owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Outside the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston, host railroads own and operate most of the tracks used by Amtrak. As a result, host railways set speed limits at which trains can safely operate on their tracks.

The return of the Adirondacks is a sign that there is a demand for more long-distance rail travel in the United States, especially outside the cities. Though, it’s also another example of how Amtrak’s continued operations and potential growth can go He is restricted to railway freight.