| Amtrak Maple Leaf | |
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| Numbers | Westbound: Amtrak No. 63, VIA No. 98 Eastbound: Amtrak No. 64, VIA No. 97 |
| Route | New York City-Toronto |
| Distance | 875 km (544 mi) |
| Dates of operation | October 29, 1977 – present |
| Track owners | CN, CSX, Metro-North |
The Maple Leaf is a 875-kilometre (544 mi) passenger train route operated jointly by VIA Rail and Amtrak from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to Toronto via Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. The train travels during the day and takes approximately 12 hours for the 875-kilometre (544 mi) journey. Around two hours of this is required for border controls at Niagara Falls. Amtrak rolling stock is used exclusively although staffed by VIA while in Canada. A change of locomotive is made at Albany. East of the border crossing, the line is shared with Empire Service trains. The original Maple Leaf passenger train was a Grand Trunk Western Railroad service between Chicago, Illinois and Toronto, Ontario. The trains terminated or originated at Chicago's Dearborn Station and Toronto's Union Station and ran on a route through Stratford, Ontario, Port Huron, Flint, Lansing, and Battle Creek, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana. The route between Chicago and Port Huron is still served by Amtrak trains 365 and 364 now called the Blue Water service.
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Route details
The Empire Service operates over Canadian National Railway, CSX Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak trackage:
- CN Oakville Subdivision and Grimsby Subdivision, Toronto to Niagara Falls
- CSX Niagara Subdivision, Buffalo Terminal Subdivision, Rochester Subdivision, Mohawk Subdivision, Selkirk Subdivision, and Hudson Subdivision, Niagara Falls to Poughkeepsie (Amtrak-owned between Hoffmans and Schenectady)
- MNRR Hudson Line, Poughkeepsie to Spuyten Duyvil
- Amtrak Empire Connection, Spuyten Duyvil to Penn Station
Station stops
| Amtrak routes |
|---|
| Northeast
Acela Express - Adirondack - Auto Train - Capitol Limited - Cardinal - Carolinian - Crescent - Downeaster - Empire Service - Ethan Allen Express - Keystone Service - Lake Shore Limited - Maple Leaf - Palmetto - Pennsylvanian - Regional - Silver Meteor - Silver Star - Vermonter |
Future
The Maple Leaf crosses the Niagara River via the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, but the owners of the bridge (the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission) are reportedly considering abandonment of its rail deck unless rail users pay for imminently necessary repairs. The Maple Leaf is currently the only user of this bridge, as CN funnels its traffic over the International Railway Bridge. There is no viable alternative for the Maple Leaf as the Michigan Central Railway Bridge is abandoned and the International Railway Bridge does not easily connect to the Niagara Falls VIA station. Thus, abandonment of the rail deck of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge will mean an end to the Maple Leaf.
