Amtrak Empire Service restoration set for March return

Amtrak Empire Service restoration is expected in March, bringing full NYC to Albany train service back on schedule and pushing aside the state-backed idea for a temporary Metro-North extension, as Gothamist reported.

That Metro-North concept emerged while Amtrak adjusted service to support repairs tied to the East River Tunnel rehabilitation, but the return of a complete Empire timetable removes the need for extra commuter runs.

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Amtrak Empire Service restoration and the March timetable

In May 2025, Amtrak reduced Empire Service by suspending three daily trips. Those trains normally depart from Moynihan Train Hall and serve stops across the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region. The trimmed schedule was intended to accommodate work on the East River Tunnels, which were damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Metro-North expansion scrapped after full service returns

In October, Gov. Kathy Hochul asked the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to coordinate with Amtrak on a temporary MTA Metro-North to Albany plan, a step also covered by Railway Supply. The proposal called for Metro-North service between Grand Central and Albany, starting with one daily round-trip in spring 2026.

The plan was announced alongside a fare initiative: a $99 price cap Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer, with stops in Rhinecliff and Hudson, as outlined in an MTA press release.

East River Tunnel rehabilitation continues through 2027

On Tuesday, Hochul said Amtrak will restore all three suspended Empire Service trips by March, returning the Empire Line to full service. Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams told Gothamist the company identified the equipment needed to fully restore the pre-project schedule by taking advantage of broader timetable adjustments tied to major Northeast Corridor infrastructure work, allowing service to return in early March.

Abrams said the East River Tunnel Project remains on schedule and within budget, with completion expected in 2027. Hochul said she did not want commuters to suffer disproportionately because of regional construction and welcomed Amtrak’s commitment to run full service for the duration of the project and beyond.

She also said riders will soon see more Empire Service capacity than existed even before the tunnel work began last spring, and that full service will return earlier than anticipated. At the same time, Amtrak told the state and the MTA it “will no longer sanction” the temporary Metro-North service to Albany.

Hochul said she remains committed to short- and long-term proposals to improve transit, including expanded Metro-North service beyond Poughkeepsie into the wider Hudson Valley and Capital Region if demand supports it.

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