ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Starting November 11th, Amtrak riders will see a reduction of service by three daily round trips between the Hudson Valley and New York City.
The reduction of service will be caused by work being done on the East River Tunnel in New York City, which is expected to take three years to complete.
In a statement Amtrak said, "We have been communicating and collaborating with our partners at NYSDOT on these service changes and mutually agreed to this new schedule, which preserves 80% of the line's service while this major infrastructure asset receives its much-needed and overdue upgrade as part of a $1.6 billion investment in New York State."
Bruce Becker, Director of Communications for Empire State Passengers Association, said they're concerned a reduction in service will negatively impact riders.
"We're particularly concerned that the train from New York to Montreal will actually have an hour and 50 minute dwell time at Albany," said Becker. "So passengers traveling through Albany through that train on the Adirondacks will be spending an extended period of time at the Rensselaer Station. And passengers on the East Bound Train that goes through Toronto to New York City in the evening will also encounter a lengthy dwell time at Rensselaer."
In a letter to Amtrak and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Assemblymembers Pat Fahy and John McDonald urge that short term mitigation strategies be done, such as adding additional cars to accommodate travelers.
The lawmakers point out that the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station is a major hub connecting the cities of Albany, New York City, Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, and other urban areas.
"We know that over a million people pass through that train station on an annual basis. We know it's the ninth busiest train station in the United States," said Assemblyman John McDonald.
AmeriStarRail, a private sector company, also recently sent a letter to Amtrack offering a list of solutions. One of them would combine trains on the Empire Corridor with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Service between New York and Washington.
"We create the benefit of passengers having a one seat ride from the Hudson River Valley on the Empire Corridor from Albany to New York straight through to Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Washington, without changing trains," said Scott Spencer, Chief Operating Officer for AmeriStarRail.
AmeriStarRail is also proposing that service to the Adirondacks be combined with the Northeast Corridor service. The company has yet to hear back from Amtrak.