ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — Lawmakers across New York are calling on the governor to revive plans to bring more train routes to upstate New York, including Albany.
In 2024, Amtrak announced the East River Tunnel (ERT) project, which consists of restoring tunnels in NYC damaged by Superstorm Sandy.
Part of the repairs forced a suspension of certain round-trip service to Albany.
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In October 2025, the state announced Metro-North Railroad would expand services to Albany and the Hudson Valley to help fill the gaps left. That was set to launch this spring.
However, in January, Amtrak announced a full restoration of the Empire Service schedules; this put the Metro-North expansion on pause.
Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Governor Hochul calling on her to bring Metro-North, Amtrak, and other stakeholders back to the table to expand train services for New Yorkers in the upstate area.
“We want options, we want to make sure that Metro-North continues the expansion up to Albany and all the train stations in between,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey.
A piece of lawmakers’ push to continue the expansion, they say, is Metro-North’s lower prices and scheduling options.
“Let’s look at the cost of Metro-North one way, peaky rain from New York City to Poughkeepsie, $29.75. Amtrak, the lowest, is only on the train that runs most frequently, at $39.50. So you’re talking about a ten-dollar starting differential,” added Yonkers Senator Shelley Mayer.
Edward Valente is the Executive Board Director of the Association of Commuter Rail Employees (ACRE), which represents roughly 2,000 workers.
“A lot has changed in New York over the past decade, including where we live, work, and play. This service would play an important role in meeting increasing demands in New York City, the Hudson Valley, and the Capital Region by supporting tourism and regional economic growth,” Valente added.
He adds it’s not about competing with Amtrak but offering more choices for travelers; “A modern-day rail network requires redundancy and multiple high-quality options.”
In a statement to CBS6, Amtrak representatives said, “Amtrak is one of several stakeholders involved in the potential Metro-North service to Albany plan, along with NYSDOT and CSX. During Amtrak’s initial research, it became apparent there were several significant challenges with bringing this plan to life, and it became redundant once we were able to restore full Empire Service to and from the region.”
They added by taking advantage of schedule changes to support major infrastructure projects, the railroad company was able to identify the equipment needed to fully restore the Empire Service schedule that was in place before the ERT project began.