Designated High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor
The Empire Corridor was designated as a High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor in 1998 by Congress and the Secretary of Transportation. As one of only eleven designated High Speed Rail Corridors in the Country, the Empire Corridor is recognized for its present utility and potential for future development and public benefits.
Empire Corridor Location
The 463-mile Empire Corridor begins at Penn Station in New York City, and continues north through Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, and Albany/Rensselaer, generally paralleling the Hudson River. It then continues west through Schenectady, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, with final termination in Niagara Falls, generally paralleling the New York State Thruway (Interstate-90).
The Empire Corridor connects to the Northeast train corridor at Penn Station. A connection to Boston can be made at Albany/Rensselaer and New York City; connections to Rutland, Vermont and Montreal, Canada can be made at Schenectady; a connection to Chicago can be made at Buffalo; and a connection to Toronto, Canada can be made at Niagara Falls.
Existing Amtrak Stations along the Empire Corridor
Amtrak provides service to 16 stations on the Empire Corridor. Some of these stations, such as Hudson and Amsterdam, are owned by Amtrak; others, such as Utica, Albany-Rensselaer and Syracuse, are owned by municipalities or transit agencies.
