Maple Leaf (train)

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Maple Leaf
The Maple Leaf crosses the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, in 1983.
Overview
Service typeInternational Inter-city rail
StatusOperating
LocaleEastern United States/Canada
First serviceApril 26, 1981
Current operator(s)Amtrak (within US)
Via Rail (within Canada)
Route
TerminiNew York City, New York, United States
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Stops20
Distance travelled544 mi (875 km)
Average journey time12 hours, 30 minutes (includes time at border control)
Service frequencyDaily each way
On-board services
Class(es)Business and standard class
Seating arrangementsReserved Coach Seat
Business Class Seat
Catering facilitiesOn-board café (not available between New York City and Albany)
Baggage facilitiesCarry-on baggage only
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) (Standard Gauge)
Track owner(s)Amtrak, Metro-North, CSX, Canadian National
Timetable number(s)63, 64 (Amtrak)
95, 97 (Via)
Amtrak locomotive #106 pushing its train east through Toronto's Mimico GO Station.

The Maple Leaf is an 875-kilometre (544 mi) passenger train route operated jointly by Amtrak and Via Rail from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to Toronto's Union Station via Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. The train travels each way during the daytime hours and takes approximately 12 hours for the entire journey. Around two hours of the trip is spent at the US/Canadian border for border controls at Niagara Falls, Ontario on westbound (Toronto-bound), and Niagara Falls, New York for eastbound (New York-bound) service. Amtrak rolling stock is used exclusively, although the train is staffed by Via Rail personnel while in Canada. The train is code shared with Via's Corridor service and Amtrak's Empire Service.

History

The original Maple Leaf passenger train was a Grand Trunk Western Railroad service between Chicago, Illinois and Toronto, Ontario. The service operated between Chicago's Dearborn Station and Toronto's Union Station on a route through Stratford, Ontario, Port Huron, Flint, Lansing, and Battle Creek, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana. The route between Battle Creek and Port Huron is still served by Amtrak trains 365 and 364, but is now called the Blue Water service. The Maple Leaf name was later applied to a joint Lehigh Valley Railroad/Canadian National overnight service between New York City and Toronto. The last LV/CN Maple Leaf ran on Feb. 4, 1961.

Amtrak and Via Rail introduced the Maple Leaf on April 26, 1981. The new Maple Leaf was the first collaboration between the two companies and the first New York to Toronto passenger service in a decade. The new train utilized Amtrak's Amfleet coaches with a dinette car; Amtrak crews were changed to Via Rail crews at the border crossing.[1] A 1982 consist included a baggage car, two coaches and a dinette; time spent in customs ranged from thirty minutes to two hours.[2]

The Maple Leaf was one of the last Amtrak trains to receive the new GE Genesis locomotive owing to the Via Rail's crews' unfamiliarity with the unit. The Maple Leaf retained the EMD F40PH until Via received its own Genesis locomotives in 2002.[3]

Route details

A change of locomotive is made at Albany on select days with P42DC units utilized north of Albany and P32AC-DM units taking over the remainder of the route to Penn Station. The Maple Leaf has previously operated with P32ACDM units directly from Toronto to New York. Rarely, the P32ACDM may stay on the train to Toronto. East of the border crossing, the service is shared with Empire Service trains. Prior to the completion of the Empire Connection in 1991 the Maple Leaf originated at Grand Central Terminal in New York instead of Penn Station.[4]

The Maple Leaf operates over Canadian National Railway, CSX Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak trackage:

Station stops

State/Province Town/City Station Connections
New York New York City Penn Station Amtrak: Acela Express, Adirondack, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter
LIRR: Main Line, Port Washington Branch
NJ Transit: North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, Gladstone Branch, Montclair-Boonton Line, Morristown Line
NYC Subway: 1, ​2, and ​3 A, ​C, and ​E trains
NYC Transit buses: M4, M7, M20, M34 / M34A Select Bus Service, Q32
Yonkers Yonkers Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express
Bee-Line: 6, 9, 25, 32, 91 (seasonal service)
Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
Croton-on-Hudson Croton–Harmon Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited
Bee-Line: 10, 11, 14
Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express
Dutchess LOOP: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie RailLink
City of Poughkeepsie Transit: Main Street, Shoppers' Special
UCAT Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK
Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
Rhinecliff Rhinecliff-Kingston Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express
Hudson Hudson Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express
Rensselaer Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited
CDTA: NX Northway Express, 14, 15, 24
Schenectady Schenectady Amtrak: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited
Amsterdam Amsterdam Amtrak: Empire Service
Utica Utica Union Station Adirondack Scenic Railroad: to Thendara, New York
Amtrak: Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited
CENTRO: 15, 31
Rome Rome Amtrak: Empire Service
Syracuse Syracuse Amtrak: Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited
CENTRO: 16, 48, 50, 60, 62, 70, 82, 236, 246, 250
New York State Fair Amtrak: Empire Service
Train only stops during fair
Rochester Rochester Amtrak: Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited
Depew Buffalo-Depew Amtrak: Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited
Buffalo Buffalo-Exchange Street Station Amtrak: Empire Service, Thruway Motorcoach to Jamestown, New York
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls Amtrak: Empire Service
Ontario Niagara Falls Niagara Falls GO Transit: Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service
Niagara Falls Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, Green Line Falls Shuttle
Niagara Region Transit: 50/55, 60/65, Fort Erie Link
Niagara Parks Commission People Mover
Via Rail: The Corridor
St. Catharines St. Catharines GO Transit: Lakeshore West Train Service
St. Catharines Transit: 3, 15, 115
Via Rail: The Corridor
Grimsby Grimsby Via Rail: The Corridor
Burlington Aldershot GO Transit: Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service
Burlington Transit: 1
Hamilton Street Railway: 18
Via Rail: The Corridor
Oakville Oakville GO Transit: Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service, Oakville Hwy 403 Bus Service, Oakville Hwy 407 Bus Service
Oakville Transit: 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 180, 190, 200
Via Rail: The Corridor
Toronto Union Station GO Transit: Barrie Train and Bus Service, Brampton Trinity Common Bus Service, Kitchener Train Service, Hamilton QEW Bus Service, Lakeshore East Train and Bus Service, Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service, Milton Train and Bus Service, Orangeville Bus Service, Port Perry Bus Service, Richmond Hill Train and Bus Service, Stouffville Train and Bus Service, Sutton Bus Service
Ontario Northland Railway: Northlander
TTC: Yonge-University-Spadina Line, 509 Harbourfront, 510 Spadina
Via Rail: The Canadian, The Corridor

Consist and equipment

The Maple Leaf operates year-round with Amtrak P42DC & P32AC-DM units and Amfleet I & II equipment. A typical consist will include:

  • 1 P42DC/P32AC-DM locomotive
  • 1 Amfleet I Cafe/'businessclass' car
  • 4 Amfleet II 'coachclass' cars

The Maple Leaf consist grows to six cars with the addition of an extra Amfleet II car during the winter Christmas Holiday Shopping rush to handle additional seasonal demand.

References

  1. ^ "Amtrak's new Toronto-NY line fills 10-year void; may be a winner". Miami News. April 28, 1981. Retrieved 2010-07-26. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Malcolm, Andrew H. (February 14, 1982). "New York to Toronto Train". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-26. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Solomon, Brian (2004). Amtrak. MBI.; 107.
  4. ^ "Travel Advisory; Grand Central Trains Rerouted To Penn Station". The New York Times. April 7, 1991. Retrieved 2010-02-07.

See also

External links