Empire Service and Maple Leaf

The Empire Service is an Amtrak train connecting New York City with upstate New York several times a day. The Maple Leaf, jointly operated with Canada's Via Rail, runs once a day each way on the same route and continues across the Canadian border to Toronto. Major stops on the way include Albany, Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls.

Understand

The full Empire Service between NYC and Niagara Falls takes nine and a half hours, assuming no delays. A shorter version runs more often between New York City and Albany; this takes about two and a half hours.

The Maple Leaf takes 13 hours to go the full distance between Toronto and New York, including an hour for customs at the US-Canada border. If you're just riding the Canadian portion between Toronto and Niagara Falls, that's only two hours.

The Empire Service and the US portion of the Maple Leaf are operated by Amtrak; the Canadian portion of the Maple Leaf is operated by Canada's Via Rail.

These trains have a cafe car with prepackaged food for sale, but as this is one of Amtrak's shorter routes there's no full-service dining car and no observation car. WiFi is available on board in the US but not in Canada.

Prepare

If you're crossing the border, you're not allowed to check luggage as you'll have to take all your luggage off the train with you for customs. Fortunately Amtrak is pretty generous with carry-ons: one personal item plus two larger bags.

Get in

New York and Toronto are enormous cities and transit hubs, with many train connections from other parts of the US and Canada as well as major international airports. Some of the other stations in New York State are reasonably well connected by train too, at least by American standards, and Buffalo, Albany, and Rochester have significant airports as well.

If you're planning to take the Maple Leaf across the border, arrive at your departure station early for passport checks.

Ride

New York City to Albany

View of the Hudson River from the Empire Service

This portion is the most scenic, with views of the Hudson River. For the best views, sit on the left westbound (towards Albany/Niagara/Toronto) and on the right eastbound (towards New York City). All these stations are in New York state.

Albany to Niagara Falls

Departing Amsterdam station

Only a few trains per day run between Albany and Niagara Falls. These stations are in New York state.

Niagara Falls to Toronto (Maple Leaf only)

One train per day in each direction, the Maple Leaf, runs the full distance between Toronto and New York City. Schedules are timed so that you can use this train for a day trip to Niagara Falls from Toronto.

All these stations are in Ontario.

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