Tickets For Amtrak's Montreal–NYC Route Are Back On Sale & The First Departure Is Soon

The wheels are turning for train transit between Montreal and New York City. Amtrak announced on March 20 that tickets for the Adirondack line are available once again after a three-year service break.

Montrealers can now secure passes for departures on and after April 4. Travellers in New York can book theirs to travel north a day earlier.

The first Adirondack train out of NYC since 2020 will leave Penn Station at 8:41 a.m. on April 3 and arrive in Montreal at 8:16 p.m. The first southbound Adirondack train in as many years will depart Montreal at 11:10 a.m. on April 4 and arrive in Manhattan at 10:15 p.m.

Adirondack service connecting Canada with New York state was put on pause at the onset of the pandemic. But in early March of this year, several U.S. senators pushed for its return.

"The Adirondack line’s years-long closure has been economically harmful to many of the communities along its route," said New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who says she urged Amtrak to reopen the line ahead of the busy summer tourist season.

Popular destinations along the route include Albany-Rensselaer, Poughkeepsie, Saratoga Springs, and Schenectady.

Canadians can buy tickets online with Amtrak or ViaRail, or by phone at 1-800-USA-RAIL or 1-888-VIA-RAIL.

"The return of the Adirondack provides customers with a reliable, relaxing and sustainable way to travel,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a statement.

The route offers free Wi-Fi with no "airplane mode" requirement, a café car, large spacious seats with ample leg room and no middle seat.

Travellers heading south of the border still need to have received an approved COVID-19 vaccine, among other cross-border safety measures.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your trip.