(The following story by Anna Mageras appeared on The Journal News website on June 20.)
NEW YORK — Westchester travelers heading to Boston on Amtrak next week will have to take slower, regional inland trains from Tuesday to Friday due to a bridge replacement near New London, Conn.
After several postponements, this construction will complete a multi-year, $83 million improvement project.
The Acela Express, which connects Washington D.C., New York, New Haven, Providence and Boston, will not run north of New York City during the four days the bridge will be out.
On Monday, a few northbound, late afternoon trains will also end mid-route. The 5:40 p.m. departure from Penn Station will terminate at Springfield and the 7:30 p.m. train will end at New Haven.
To accommodate the approximately 13,000 passengers who have already reserved seats on Acela Express trains for the days in question, Amtrak is running three regional round-trip inland trains between New York and Boston via Springfield. They will depart from New Rochelle at 8:57 a.m., 1:28 p.m. and 3:57 p.m. each day and will reach Boston about six hours later. Westchester passengers can also board them in Stamford, where they will leave at 9:18 a.m., 1:48 p.m. and 4:18 p.m.
Amtrak officials discourage customers who have not yet reserved seats from doing so and ask those who can to reschedule their travel plans, or to turn to outside alternatives. These include bus companies and Metro-North Railroad.
Amtrak is also chartering buses to take passengers from New Haven to Rhode Island stations. A schedule will be made available later today.
Regular service resumes on Saturday, June 28, except for regional morning trains from Boston to New York, which will have modified schedules.
Visit amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL for more detailed information on schedule and route changes.