(The Business Review of Albany posted the following article on its website on November 18.)
ALBANY, N.Y. — Amtrak will increase its capacity in the Northeast by 40,000 seats over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The passenger railroad will operate 70 extra trains, including 31 Acela Express trains between Washington, New York City and Boston.
The special Thanksgiving timetable will be in effect from Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Dec.1.
Amtrak officials said they will put every available passenger car into use to accommodate holiday travel. Extra train equipment will also be leased from commuter railroads
During Thanksgiving week, Amtrak officials said they expect to serve more than 300,000 passengers in the Northeast alone. On the busiest travel day of the year, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Amtrak will carry as many as 110,000 passengers nationwide; 70 percent more than a typical Wednesday.
Tickets sold for trains traveling on the Empire Corridor between New York City and Albany, N.Y., and Niagara Falls will be on an all-reserve basis to ensure people get rides.
Passengers holding unreserved tickets will need to obtain reserved tickets prior to boarding the train.
The “Holiday Extra” trains, composed of equipment leased from commuter railroads, are generally less crowded than Amtrak trains but offer fewer amenities and may not offer food service.