Metro-North service to Albany stalls as Amtrak backs away

Metro-North service to Albany may have stalled after Amtrak grew uneasy about competition from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to MTA CEO Janno Lieber.

Lieber addressed the topic this week on WCNY’s Capitol Pressroom podcast while in Albany to testify on legislation. He said the MTA remains interested in operating north of Poughkeepsie on the Hudson Line, which is now the endpoint of Metro-North service.

Metro-North service to Albany and the Grand Central concept

In the interview, Lieber pointed to strong interest in the idea of Grand Central to Albany train service with more predictable fares than Amtrak during peak periods; his comments are reflected in MTA’s Capitol Pressroom transcript.

He said riders responded to the prospect of a trip that would not “suddenly cost 100 bucks, or even more on a holiday or summer weekend,” and added that a single Metro-North train can carry as many passengers as two or even three Amtrak trains.

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Lieber said the idea surfaced after Amtrak cut service on the New York–Albany route because of its East River Tunnel project. Gov. Kathy Hochul asked whether Amtrak could run trains from Grand Central, he said, but Amtrak replied that it did not have enough trains. The MTA then offered to run Metro-North service, and Amtrak initially agreed.

Why the Metro-North to Albany plan lost momentum?

Lieber said Amtrak’s stance shifted once it saw how enthusiastic the response was to the Metro-North proposal. He suggested Amtrak feared competition and backed away. Hochul ultimately got what she was seeking — a restoration of full service — but, Lieber said, also heard that people are interested in the MTA operating north of Poughkeepsie, and the agency plans to explore it.

Last month, Hochul announced that Amtrak had agreed to restore the full Empire Service schedule between Penn Station and Albany in March, but would no longer agree to the proposed MTA service from Grand Central; see statement from Governor Kathy Hochul.

CSX-owned tracks, Amtrak operating rights, and next steps

Lieber said “a lot of bureaucratic stuff” would need to be addressed to operate north of Poughkeepsie on CSX-owned tracks, where Amtrak holds the right to operate. Metro-North would need approval from both Amtrak and CSX, he said, and engineers would need training to run on that territory, along with resolving other technical and administrative issues.

Even so, Lieber said there is nothing that would prevent the plan from happening promptly if political forces agree, and that the MTA would be ready to proceed if New York State and Amtrak can come to an agreement to allow it. “There’s no reason, no reason to stop in Poughkeepsie if we could serve the Hudson Valley and Albany,” he said, adding that a farther extension — such as to Saratoga in the summer when the races are on — could also be considered.

Amtrak and the MTA have had a strained relationship over the last year, as the MTA publicly blamed Amtrak for delays in its Penn Station Access project — claims Amtrak disputed. Those issues have quieted recently, with Amtrak highlighting plans to accommodate Penn Access work during a recent online board meeting.

(Related background on the Metro-North Albany concept is available via Railway Supply.)

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