Passenger traffic is starting to pick up at the Schenectady Amtrak station.

“Some trains that were 50% full are now 80 to 90 to even 100% full,” said Gary Prophet, president of the Empire State Passengers Association.

Because of that, Prophet and other Schenectady officials say it’s time to restore the full pre-pandemic schedule in the Empire Corridor.


What You Need To Know

  • The Empire State Passengers Association is requesting the state Department of Transportation restart the two missing early morning westbound and eastbound trains

  • City officials says this is an important part of helping businesses bounce back and continue to grow

  • A DOT spokesperson says they are working with Amtrak on strategically restoring services along the Empire Corridor

“When nobody was traveling, those trains were taken off,” Prophet said. “Now, it’s time to bring those trains back.”

The group gathered in the Electric City Monday morning to advocate for that change. They are requesting the state Department of Transportation restart the two missing early morning westbound and eastbound trains connecting Niagara Falls and New York City.

“It’s just the easiest way for them to be back and forth,” said Jean Leonard, chief of staff at Proctors Theatre. With Broadway productions returning in December, she says a full train schedule will be an important part of their success.

“When they come here to create, and when they come here to perform and they come here to build their shows, that train is a really important piece of that puzzle,” Leonard said.

In a statement, a DOT spokesperson says they are continuing to work with Amtrak on strategically restoring services along the Empire Corridor.

“The restoration process began in late May with a return to 100% seating capacity on all currently operating trains — doubling the number of passengers that can be accommodated on a daily basis,” said Glenn Blain, assistant director of communications for DOT. “In addition, scheduled service along a portion of the Adirondack corridor (the Ethan Allen) will resume on July 19th.”

However, no date was given on when the additional trains for the Empire Corridor will restart.