This weekend breaks down into two themes – the holiday and the heat.
There’s been multiple days of scorching heat, and officials say that’s impacting one of the major ways people may be traveling to their holiday destination.
July Fourth weekend means lots of travel, with many choosing to take the train over driving in holiday traffic. But with temperatures between 15-25 degrees above average this week across New York state, Amtrak has been warning passengers of delays.
According to Amtrak, heat restrictions are in effect when the ambient temperature climbs above 95 degrees, or when the tracks reach 128 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bruce Becker, director of communications for the citizens-based advocacy group Empire State Passengers Association, says Amtrak must also follow the guidelines of the railroads they’re operating on.
“Top speeds across upstate New York are 79 miles an hour for Amtrak trains. And typically, during periods of high heat, CSX, the freight owner of that line, would say passenger trains are limited to 60 miles an hour. So, a roughly 15-to-20 mile-per-hour reduction,” Becker said.
The Amtrak heat advisory is only in effect from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Early morning and evening trains are unlikely to see heat delays. If your train is experiencing a delay from the heat or other factors, Amtrak will contact passengers directly via email and text. Passengers can also track their train via the Amtrak app or at Amtrak.com.
Trains from New York City to Buffalo on Friday had not experienced any major delays.