Stefanik Makes Formal Request for Amtrak's Timeline to Reopen Adirondack Line

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik today sent a letter to Chief Executive Officer Stephen J. Gardner formally calling on Amtrak to commit to a timeline for fully reopening the Adirondack line.

“I write to you today again urging Amtrak to publicly commit to a timeline for reopening full rail operations on the Adirondack line. The Adirondack line runs through the 21st Congressional District of New York has been closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. To this point, Amtrak has failed to provide a specific date or details indicating when it will resume service along the Adirondack line. The Adirondack line is a significant economic driver for Upstate New York and the North Country. The continued delays to resume service are causing significant harm to citizens throughout New York State and the North Country, many of whom rely on passenger rail service for critical transportation,” Stefanik wrote.

“Recent public reporting indicates that the Adirondack line will resume service in Spring 2023, but Amtrak has not released specific dates or a timeline to resume service. Amtrak continues to cite a number of reasons for the delays in service resumption and its refusal to commit to a timeline of when Adirondack line operations will fully resume impacts communities across New York. Families throughout Upstate New York and the North Country seeking to utilize passenger rail services deserve certainty on when service will resume, especially before tourist season begins, not continued ambiguity from Amtrak,” Stefanik continued.

“I urge you to provide a detailed timeline outlining the plan to resume service on the Adirondack line between New York City and Montreal as quickly as possible, so that each community in Upstate New York and the North Country has the certainty they need regarding this critical transportation service,” Stefanik concluded.

As soon as constituents brought this to her attention in May, Stefanik’s office has been engaged with Amtrak to reopen the Adirondack Line. In July, after Amtrak resumed its Maple Leaf line from New York City to Toronto, Stefanik publicly called for Amtrak to restore the Adirondack line. Since then, her office has been pushing Amtrak on a deadline.

Read the full letter here.