Amtrak reducing Hudson Valley service for upcoming repairs

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Amtrak riders will see a reduction in service by three daily roundtrips in the Hudson Valley starting on November 11. The service cuts stem from scheduled repairs to the East River Tunnel in New York City.

The rehabilitation project aims to fully modernize the 114-year-old tunnel tubes, which sustained damage in 2012 from floodwaters during Superstorm Sandy. The repair work is expected to last around three years.

The updated schedule will see two trains between Albany and New York City combined into one. According to the Empire State Passengers Association (ESPA), the change will result in a nearly two-hour layover at the Rensselaer station for passengers of one of the trains before continuing their travel.

"New York’s Hudson Valley Amtrak service already sells out every Friday and Sunday
and frequently on Thursdays and Saturdays," said ESPA President Gary Prophet. "It
is imperative that Amtrak lengthen the remaining trains as partial mitigation for the
frequency reductions."

Amtrak officials stated "Amtrak plans to maintain the vast majority of service, with slight schedule changes for Northeast Regional and Acela trains, as well as modifications to some Long Distance and State Supported services. Amtrak and the railroad partners are coordinating closely to mitigate service impacts and will provide detailed service information via numerous channels in the coming months."