MAPLE LEAF (AMTRAK/VIA)

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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.

Contents

Route details

Station stops

Future

External links

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

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, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Regional, 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, 3, A, C, E 'NYC Transit buses:' M10, M16, M20, M34, Q32
	Yonkers	Yonkers	'Amtrak:' Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express 'Bee-Line:' 1C, 1T, 1W, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 23, 32, 91 '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 'City of Poughkeepsie Transit:' Main Street 'Dutchess County LOOP:' Apple Valley Commuter Train Connection, Hyde Park Commuter Train Connection '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, 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
	Rochester	Rochester	'Amtrak:' Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited
	Depew	Buffalo-Depew
	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	'VIA Rail:' The Corridor
	St. Catharines	St. Catharines	'VIA Rail:' The Corridor
	Grimsby	Grimsby	'VIA Rail:' The Corridor
	Aldershot	Aldershot	'GO Transit:' Lakeshore East Bus Service, Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service 'VIA Rail:' The Corridor
	Oakville	Oakville	'GO Transit:' Lakeshore East Train Service, Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service, Oakville Hwy 403 Bus Service, Pakville 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	Toronto Union Station	'GO Transit:' Bolton Train Service, Barrie - Bradford Train and Bus Service, Brampton Trinity Common Train Service, Georgetown Train Service, Hamilton QEW Bus Service, Lakeshore East Train and Bus Service, Lakeshore West Train and Bus Service, Milton Train and Bus Service, Orangeville Train and Bus Service, Port Berry Train 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

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''.

External links

★ Amtrak - ''Maple Leaf''

★ VIA Rail Canada - Toronto-Niagara Falls train