PUSH TO REOPEN
Saratoga Chamber and state legislators call for faster reopening of Amtrak
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Saratoga Chamber and members of the state Legislature hosted a press conference Friday morning announcing their intent to press the New York and Vermont Departments of Transportation for an earlier reopening of the Amtrak train station.
Present at the conference were representatives of the New York Racing Association, Rivers Casino, and the Empire State Passenger Association (ESPA). The gathering was the first time the train station had been opened in over a year.
“We’re really excited to start talking about how to reopen the economy,” said Chamber president Todd Shimkus.
Amtrak has announced that passenger train service will restart on July 19, with the Ethan Allen Express line resuming its daily service. The Ethan Allen’s current terminal points are Saratoga Springs and New York City, with many local stops in between. An extension of the Ethan Allen is already under construction, expected to be operational in 2022, that will connect Saratoga to Burlington, VT.
ESPA would also like to see increased train service, with more stops at more stations along the existing routes.
Shimkus is looking forward to the completion of the Burlington line and strengthening the partnership that exists between the Saratoga Chamber and the Burlington Chamber.
“There’s tremendous opportunity for tourism and talent recruitment,”
Amtrak has announced that passenger train service will restart on July 19, with the Ethan Allen Express line resuming its daily service.
he said of the partnership. “The two cities have many things in common. I think many people will use the new extension in both directions right away.”
Presently, the most pressing concern is the July 19 reopening date. Many are saying it’s too late in the year, and an earlier date would serve the community much better.
“The Ethan Allen is a state-supported train,” said Gary Prophet, president of ESPA. “New York and Vermont share the cost of providing this train service and they are the primary decision-makers on when service resumes. ESPA calls on both transportation agencies to move up the start date so that we can come back better and stronger.”
“Our summer season starts much earlier than July,” said state Sen. Daphne Jordan. “The Ethan Allen line is vital to our community.”
In the summer, the Ethan Allen line frequently brings tourists up from New York City and other southern locations to visit Saratoga during racing season.
“Tourism is a vital drive of our local economy,” added Jordan.
State Sen. Jim Tedisco agreed that reopening train service sooner would be a boon to the community.
“This makes a whole lot of sense,” Tedisco stated.
“It’s an environmental issue, too - trains are more efficient and more effective. We can get this done.”
State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner pointed out that an earlier reopening of the Ethan Allen line wouldn’t just benefit Saratoga’s tourism revenue, it would also have a positive impact on daily life for the community at large.
“We have to think about the year-round, day-to-day workforce as we think about talent attraction and how to decarbonize commuting,” Woerner said. She announced that in this year’s state budget, more money had been put towards passenger rail services.
Use of the Ethan Allen line for commuter purposes would be a step towards achievement of the state goal of reducing carbon emissions by 2030. Shimkus pointed out that commuting by train would be faster than driving or taking the bus, and would avoid common pratfalls such as getting stuck in traffic that road-based commutes often see.
“Having a third option for commuting purposes would be a great thing,” he said.
According to Shimkus, the immediate next steps in the process are for the Saratoga and Burlington Chambers to get together and discuss their plan, then collaborate with state legislators, then approach the New York and Vermont Departments of Transportation to present their case.