Amtrak Route - Empire CorridorAmtrak Empire CorridorAmtrak Route - Empire CorridorCurrent Amtrak Routes - Empire CorridorThis listing included current and discontinued routes operated by Amtrak since May 1, 1971. Some intercity trains were also operated after 1971 by the Alaska Railroad, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Georgia Railroad, Reading Company, and Southern Railway. The Southern Railway and D&RGW routes were taken over by Amtrak in 1979 and 1983 respectively. | Name | Indicates Amtrak's name for the train, or in some cases the pre-Amtrak name for trains operating prior to November 14, 1971 | | Route | The endpoints and major intermediate stops for the train. Changes to terminal stations within the same city, as well as route changes that did not modify the endpoint cities, are not shown. | Service
Began | The date Amtrak began operating the train | Service
Ended | The date Amtrak ceased operating the train | | Notes | Additional information concerning name changes and prior operators | | ‡ | Trains conveyed to Amtrak either on May 1, 1971, or afterward | | † | Trains that are currently operating | | †‡ | Trains conveyed to Amtrak that are currently operating | Current Amtrak Route - Empire CorridorTrains operating over the Empire Corridor (the former New York Central Railroad Water Level Route) are now collectively known as the Empire Service. The name was used by the New York Central beginning in 1967, but dropped by Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak restored the Empire Service brand with the June 11, 1972 timetable, and added individual train names on the May 19, 1974 timetable. As was done on the Northeast Corridor with NortheastDirect, individual train names for New York-Albany and New York-Niagara Falls service were dropped on October 28, 1995 and replaced with Empire. The individual names were re-added in November 1996, but dropped in favor of Empire Service in May 1999. | Name | Route | Service
Began | Service
Ended | Notes | Adirondack
(train) † | New York City - Montreal | August 6, 1974 (1974-08-06) | April 1, 1995 | Joint operation with Empire State Express/DeWitt Clinton until April 1975 | | Washington, D.C. - Montreal | April 2, 1995 | April 13, 1996 | | | New York City - Montreal | April 14, 1996 | present | | Bear Mountain
(train) | New York City - Albany | February 15, 1977 | April 29, 1978 | | | August 3, 1980 | October 25, 1980 | | | April 26, 1981 | | Renamed from Henry Hudson | | Capital City Express | | | | | Catskill
(train) | New York City - Albany | October 27, 1991 | October 30, 1993 | | | New York City - Schenectady | October 31, 1993 | May 4, 1994 | | | New York City - Syracuse | May 5, 1994 | October 29, 1994 | | | New York City - Albany | October 30, 1994 | April 1, 1995 | | | New York City - Niagara Falls | April 2, 1995 | October 27, 1995 | Merged into Empire Service | Cayuga
(train) | New York City - Schenectady | October 28, 1984 | April 4, 1987 | | Central Park
(train) | New York City - Albany | April 2, 1995 | October 27, 1995 | Merged into Empire Service | DeWitt Clinton
(train) | New York City - Albany | May 19, 1974 | April 25, 1981 | Previously unnamed. Replaced by Rip Van Winkle | | Electric City Express | New York City - Schenectady | April 26, 1981 | | Replaced Salt City Express | Empire Service
(train) †‡ | New York City - Buffalo | May 1, 1971 | May 18, 1974 | Inherited from Penn Central Empire Service, unnamed until June 11, 1972. Individual names applied on May 19, 1974. | | New York City - Niagara Falls | October 28, 1995 | present | Merged from various individual train names. Individual names restored under the Empire Service brand from November 1996 to May 1999. | | Empire State Express | New York City - Buffalo | May 19, 1974 | October 30, 1974 | Previously unnamed | | New York City - Detroit | October 31, 1974 | April 24, 1976 | Renamed Niagara Rainbow | | New York City - Buffalo | January 8, 1978 | October 28, 1978 | Renamed from Water Level Express | | New York City - Niagara Falls | October 29, 1978 | | | | Ethan Allen Express † | New York City - Rutland | December 2, 1996
1996-12-02) | July 28, 2022 | | | New York City - Burlington | July 29, 2022 | present | | Half Moon
(train) | New York City - Albany | May 1, 1994 | October 27, 1995 | | Hendrick Hudson
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Henry Hudson
(train) | New York City - Albany | May 19, 1974 | April 25, 1981 | Previously unnamed, now renamed the Bear Mountain | Hudson Highlander
(train) | New York City - Albany | April 26, 1981 | October 27, 1995 | Replaced Washington Irving. Merged into Empire Service | | Hudson River Express | New York City - Albany | | | | | Hudson Valley Express | New York City - Schenectady | | | | Hudson Valley Service
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Knickerbocker
(train) | New York City - Albany | April 7, 1991 | April 1, 1995 | | Lake Shore
(train) | New York City - Chicago | May 10, 1971 (1971-05-10) | January 6, 1972 (1972-01-06) | This train was unnamed until November 14, 1971. | Lake Shore Limited
(train) † | New York City/Boston - Chicago | October 31, 1975 (1975-10-31) | present | | Maple Leaf
(train) † | New York City - Toronto | April 26, 1981 | present | | Mohawk
(train) | New York City - Niagara Falls | April 26, 1981 | April 28, 1984 | | | New York City - Syracuse | April 29, 1984 | October 27, 1984 | | | New York City - Niagara Falls | October 28, 1984 | | | Niagara Rainbow
(train) | New York City - Detroit | April 25, 1976 | January 30, 1979 | Renamed from Empire State Express | | New York City - Niagara Falls | January 31, 1979 | | | | New York City - Toronto | June 1994 | September 10, 1995 | Once-weekly additional frequency of the Maple Leaf | Nieuw Amsterdam
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Oneida
(train) | New York City - Syracuse | | | | Palisades
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Patroon
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Rip Van Winkle
(train) | New York City - Albany | April 26, 1981 | | | | Salt City Express | New York City - Syracuse | May 19, 1974 | April 25, 1981 | Previously unnamed. Replaced by Electric City Express | Saratogian
(train) | New York City - Saratoga Springs | | | | Sleepy Hollow
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Spa Express
(train) | New York City - Saratoga Springs | | | | Spuyten Duyvil
(train) | New York City - Albany | | | | Storm King
(train) | New York City - Albany | April 26, 1981 | | | | New York City - Schenectady | | | | Washington Irving
(train) | New York City - Albany | November 15, 1974 | January 31, 1981 | | | New York City - Schenectady | February 1, 1981 | April 25, 1981 | Replaced by Hudson Highlander | | Water Level Express | New York City - Buffalo | May 19, 1974 | January 7, 1978 | Previously unnamed. Renamed Empire State Express | | New York City - Niagara Falls | | | | Washington Irving
(positioning train) | Albany - Schenectady | February 1, 1981 | April 25, 1981 | Equipment positioning moves for the Washington Irving | |
