W. Graham Claytor, Jr. speaking at the Empire Connection inaugural, 1991.
Color photograph showing Amtrak President and CEO W. Graham Claytor, Jr. speaking at a ceremony to dedicate the Empire Connection. Image dates to April 1991.
- Photograph Details
-
- Date Archived:
- April 15, 2011
- Geography:
- Northeast
- Decade:
- 1990s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Route:
- Empire Service
- Date Created:
- April 4, 1991
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
On April 4, 1991, W. Graham Claytor, Jr. gave a speech at the Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., station to mark the completion of the Empire Connection. From 1971 to 1991, most north and westbound trains from New York City, such as the Adirondack, Empire Service and Lake Shore Limited, used Grand Central Terminal, while southbound trains and those on the Northeast Corridor used nearby Penn Station.
In the summer of 1988, Amtrak and the New York State Department of Transportation announced the Empire Connection (also known as the West Side Connection) as a way to consolidate all intercity passenger rail services at Penn Station. The plan took advantage of a strategic freight line, shuttered in 1982, that ran approximately 10 miles up the west side of Manhattan and crossed to the mainland in the Bronx; from there, the line connected with the existing tracks used for northbound service.
On April 7th, 1991, operations began over the Empire Connection. Beside being more convenient for passengers, the consolidation saved Amtrak the expense of operating two stations in New York City.
Photo by and courtesy of Ira Silverman.
