Amtrak 2017 Autumn Excursion October 14-15 up and down the Hudson

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jis

Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2003
Messages
39,114
Location
Space Coast, Florida, Area code 3-2-1
Stunningly there has been no mention or discussion of this year's Autumn Excursion on AU yet.

There is a posting with extensive information on it on trainorders - those with membership there can view it at:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4368728

Summary info from it:

Routing is New York to Newark Penn. Change to diesel and reverse direction connecting into the CSX River Line through the maze of tracks in Jersey City. Up the River Line to Selkirk. Reverse direction at Selkirk and cross the Hudson on the Castleton Cutoff, and join the Amtrak Hudson Line (ex-NYC Water Level Route) back to Penn Station via the Empire Connection.

* The train departs New York - Penn Station, NY, at 8:00 am and Newark
- Penn Station, NJ*, at 8:30 am, returning to New York at 6:10 pm.
*The train will board in Newark but there is no Newark stop on the
return trip.
* Tickets are $169 for adults and go on sale September 12; includes a
boxed lunch with souvenir tote bag and commemorative lapel pin.
* Children 2 - 12 ride for half price and also receive a boxed lunch,
souvenir tote bag and pin.
* Additional food selections will be available for purchase onboard.
* Seating is limited for this unique opportunity.
Tickets go on sale September 12 at 10am Eastern Time.

No official word from Amtrak yet, but stay tuned. Until then it is just a relatively reliable rumor. :D
 
Thanks for posting. I am hoping to go either Saturday or Sunday (not sure yet).
 
Tempting...

I'll have to cobble some reward points together and see if the math works in my favor.
 
No official word from Amtrak yet, but stay tuned. Until then it is just a relatively reliable rumor. :D

The 2017 Autumn Express is Here

The Hudson Loop:

Excursion Itinerary and Overview

This year we’ll be traveling along one of the best rail journeys on the east coast as we travel up and down the Hudson River Valley and see the beauty of the Hudson River valley this fall. The excursion will begin in the Big Apple — New York City, and pass underneath the Hudson River. We will stop at Newark, NJ, for a transition from electric to diesel power. After Newark, we’ll change directions and head toward Jersey City for a quick glimpse of the New York Harbor before ducking under the Bergen Hills heading north. We’ll arrive on the west bank of the Hudson River just below Haverstraw, where passenger trains have not run in decades. Riverscapes dominate the next 40 miles as we'll pass landmarks: Bear Mountain Bridge, Storm King Mountain, the US Military Academy at West Point, Newburgh, and the Poughkeepsie Bridge (Walkway Over The Hudson). Then we’ll turn away from the Hudson for the next 50 miles as we head inland, passing through Kingston and smaller communities like Catskill, Athens, and Ravena. When we reach the junction at Selkirk, NY, the train will reverse direction again before crossing Hudson on the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge at Castleton. Once over the bridge, we’ll descend down onto the Amtrak Hudson Line for a scenic 112-mile run down the east shore of the Hudson River on the classic ex-NYC Water Level Route. Highlights include Hudson, Rhinecliff, Pollepel Island (Bannerman's Castle), Break Neck Tunnel, Peekskill, and other suburban communities served by Metro-North Railroad, along with cross-river views of places we passed earlier on the opposite shore. Finally, we'll cross the Spuyten Duyvil moveable bridge and follow the Amtrak Empire Connection the final 12 miles to Penn Station.

Due to the operational nature of this year’s trip and to allow everyone a chance to view the Hudson River from their side of the train, seating on the Autumn Express will be arranged with half of each car’s seats facing the opposite direction. Seats facing in the direction of travel heading north along the Hudson River will be facing rearward for the southbound return, while the seats facing rearward while heading north up the Hudson will be facing forward for the southbound return.
This route is quite scenic. They aren't hard pressed to find "volunteers" for this trip. ^_^

Get the 2017 Autumn Express Commemorative Shirt

Limited edition Autumn Express apparel featuring the striking 2017 Hudson River Loop design will be made available online shortly. Please check back soon for a link to order. Autumn Express apparel will not be sold aboard the train so don’t miss out. Excursion ticket purchase not required for apparel purchases.
It is a pretty cool looking shirt. It should appear on the website soon.
 
Tempting...

I'll have to cobble some reward points together and see if the math works in my favor.
Rawr. The math doesn't work.

I may purchase a shirt, though, depending on how valid Thirdrail's opinion is. ;)
 
If you are on the River side of the train in one direction you would be on the Land side in the other direction, and vice-versa, since the train reverses at Selkirk, and runs on the opposite bank of the river.

Going North and South the river will be on the Right, facing the direction of travel.

Since there is a reversal involved at Newark Penn Station, in order to be on the River side facing forward going North one needs to be seated on the Lower number platform (South) side facing backwards out of New York Penn Station.

Hope I got all that right. :) If not please post correction.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I wonder about the pricing. The price of this year's trip is nearly double the cost of the first Autumn Excursion just four years ago - $89 in 2013, $169 now. For a family of four (two adults, two kids) the tab will be over $500, not including travel to and from. You could take a trip on a regular Empire Service train and see much of the same scenery for a small fraction of the cost of this excursion - and you would not have to ride half the trip backwards.
 
Riding half the trip backwards is more troubling to me than the cost, however, I have not ruled it out. Last year the cost was $149.
 
Tiny Keith Richards (who now has more of a mid-sized Robert Plant thing going on) and I are in for sure!
 
Yeah, I'm not going to be able to justify this, especially immediately after the Gathering.

I wonder how high they can go before Amtrak starts having trouble selling out the train. Personally, if it didn't interfere with the Gathering, I'd rather spend my money locally on the 261 fall excursion, since it includes private varnish and steam as well along with rare trackage and some leaf peeping. (Plus, the cost is lower, especially since I don't have to worry about flight/hotel.)
 
I never mind riding backwards. I've always felt like it gave me more time to gaze at something I want to remember instead of reaching ahead to see what's next.
 
My only serious annoyance is that I have to go down to NYC to come back up from NYC and then am taken back to NYC before I can go back up from NYC.

"Oy." I'd love a drop-off in Albany or Schenectady.

I raise the question: do I want to look out at the Hudson or at the land while on the West Shore Line? If I'm looking for Points Of Railroad Interest, that is. I've seen the Hudson before. Opinions?
 
Agree with Jeb that those of us in flyover country are better off using the $$$ it would take to get to and stay in NYC to ride on a Classic RR or take an Amtrak trip on a scheduled Train.

Otherwise it sounds like fun if you are close to the Apple, or are Rich!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top