St. Albans is a very small station and is mainly used since it is right on the Canadian border. The Vermonter used to be called the Montrealer back in the 90s and ran all the way to Montreal as an overnight train. There is frequently talk about extending the train to Montreal once again, but for now it ends in St. Albans.
@T C I found it really surprising that the train pulls into the Main St pretty much. I guess I’m more used to trains pulling into stations with platforms. Also surprised that the same crew overnighted there and were the same crew going back (until Springfield that is)
In Ashland VA, Amtrak trains run right through a street in town, with often exciting car versus train results. In other towns there are freight trains going down the centre of streets.
I’m in Montreal and I really want the Adirondack to NYC to start again - it stopped when the land border closed due to covid. However its timetable is annoying as it leaves Montreal at 10am and may not get into NYC until well after 9pm (if you are lucky) due to immigration processing at the border, delays from.freight traffic and a very old road bed. That’s really inconvenient if you want to travel further on, or even want to stay in NYC. Meanwhile the flight takes just over an hour! High(er) speed rail travel on this route has been promised forever but I doubt I’ll see it, lol. We can’t even get high speed from Montreal to Toronto.
Mark another information & interesting video. I caught the Maple Leaf from Penn Station to Toronto back in 1985, the new Moynihan Train Hall sure is a huge improvement. Crossing over Hell Gate Bridge NY made me feel as if I was in Sydney (Australia) crossing the Sydney Harbor Bridge in terms of a similar bridge structure. Have added the Vermonter to my 'bucket list'.
I took this trip from Baltimore a couple of days ago. It was a fabulous trip with beautiful snow-covered scenery all along the way. There is a nice hotel one block from the St. Albans station, with affordable rates during the week.
The Vermonter is a re-branding of what used to be The Montrealer which ran overnight from DC to Montreal via St. Albans. But ridership plumeted because it had a reputation for being a party train. Skiers would stay up all night partying.
Definitely no partying on the train I was on Kevin, but it was early Fall. Train was pretty empty. Didn’t make much sense for it to stop overnight in St Albany’s, but I guess that’s temporary until the border reopens
I've taken a number of ski trips on the Montrealer from NYC up to St Albans in the Northeast Kingdom region. It could get quite lively in the pub/lounge car but I don't recall it being overly raucous on the rest of the train (for the most part! Exceptions of course-) I was surprised that they curtailed service north of St Albans as a good number of their passengers came to Vermont from Quebec on that route. I thought it might have something to do with the occasionally rude and surly customs inspectors who would come aboard at St Albans on the southbound run- they would delay our departure for an inordinately lengthy period and seemed to care very little for keeping up the quality of the passenger's travel experience.
Why would it not make sense to overnight in St. Albans? Much more ridership in the morning vs late night. Also the crew rest period is required so they can't leave until a crew is called @@TravelwithMark
Great video. My wife and I travelled on the AMTRAK Vermonter from New York Penn to St Albans and back, for my 50th birthday bash, flying from London, England. We travelled in coach too. I prefer the seating material in coach (of an unrefurbished Amfleet 1 car) to the slippery / hot leather seats in business class. Plus the business class is in the same coach as the diner, what with the heat from the diner, and the bustle of people walking passed, coach, in our opinion, was better. For my wife's 50th birthday bash, we flew from London to Toronto, and caught the AMTRAK Maple Leaf to New York. We even had one P32-AC-DM and two P42DCs on load 5, south of Albany. Doing American railroads one at a time LOL ! We have done the complete Alaska Railroad (Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward and Whittier) and the whole of the White Pass & Yukon from Skagway to Carcross. We stayed a whole week in lovely St Albans, Vermont. Great people, the 14th Star Brewery, culture, pretty churches, a large park with a fountain, a gentile pace of life to unwind in, and plenty of railway action. By staying longer than one night in St. Albans, you have the added bonus of different locomotives back.
@@TravelwithMark We did Alaska with PTG Tours. They do a 12 day tour of every line (Alaska Railroad, White Pass & Yukon - including Carcross and some smaller railways) 15,000 miles in 12 days. 10 days up at 05.00. 2 days up at 04.00. 2 nights abed at 02.00. 23 trains, 23 buses, 5 aircraft, 3 (7 hrs) sea voyages. We saw Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, Ospreys, Horned Puffin, Willow Grouse, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Moose, Caribou (reindeer), Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Ground Squirrels, Beluga Whales, Humpback Whales, Orcas (Killer Whales), Minkie Whales, Sealions, Sea Otters, and Dolphins. Jet lag lasted 3 weeks ! We have done 33 tours with PTG Tours. The charter trains with a fully licensed dining car are truly superb, with craft beers, wines, and three course meals on offer. Even saw Eastern Imperial Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle in Hungary. Had cabrides on the locomotive in Canada, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Austria and Hungary with them. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Also done every railway, either on a tour or independently, in Britain, Ireland, Canada (except Churchill which is still on the Bucket List), Portugal, Norway, and most of the rest of Europe. If you want recommendations, just ask. Always happy to help. For remoteness, try the Tshiuetin Railway from Sept Iles to Schefferville. Run by friendly and hospitable First Nations peoples. Superb scenery. Best avoid winter unless you like -63C (Alaska is only -40C and Moscow is only -25C). You will see wolves and bears. Can't guarantee you will get a ride on the locomotive, like I did. LOL !
Wow Vic, that is awesome. Definitely some places there I want to travel to as well. I HAVE been to Sept Isles. I drove there from Montreal a few years ago but was not aware of the railway. Looks like I'll need to revisit.
@@TravelwithMark There TWO railways at Sept Iles. Both owned by the Quebec North Shore & Labrador. The first is a freight line to Labrador City. I don't think this has any public passenger train services. The traffic is iron ore, and trains load up to 35,000 tons (which make them the third heaviest in the world). The second line, diverges at Emeril Junction, bound for Schefferville, and has a twice weekly passenger train service. Passenger trains run northbound on Mondays and Thursdays, and southbound on Tuesdays and Fridays. The train is operated by the Tshiuetin and runs a total of 357 miles north of any road between Sept Iles and Schefferville. It is the only passenger line that crosses the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. So I have done this province as well as Carcross in Yukon Territory. The line from Emeril Junction to Schefferville is owned by the QNS&L, but leased to Tshiuetin. The train, and a small (seasonal ?) airstrip is the only way in or out of Schefferville. Arrange with the hotel in Schefferville to pick you up at the station. Wear stout footwear, thick jeans, long trousers, coats, long sleeved jackets, zip it up to cover your neck, and a hat. The pesky biting insects, will attempt to enter your ears, nose and mouth. But the journey is amazing. The train stops at Mai for an hour, and the staff lock the train down, while they go for lunch, leaving the passengers to amuse themselves. It is a flag-stop service, and folk board and alight in what we might call the middle-of-no-where, and they call home. Far more remote than the Alaska Railroad ! Between Fairbanks and Anchorage there is the railroad, the highway and the pipeline, and international airports at both ends. On the Tshiuetin, there is barely a sign that man has ever been there. The climb out of Sept Iles is quite steep, and it is a good job the freight trains run empty northbound ! They need their dynamic brakes southbound, when loaded. In Sept Iles, the railway has an office, and if you ask nicely, they will sell you souvenirs. We got baseball hats and tie pins. Boarding in Sept Iles is roughly one hour before departure, so folk can load houses, boats, and provisions, by fork-lift truck. The train is a mixed train, of freight cars on the front, and passenger coaches on the rear. Our train was hauled by a pair of F40s (601 and 602), but I think they now have more powerful locos. There are some excellent videos on TH-cam if you want to spoil the surprise of the fabulous scenery. The train does have a buffet / café car. Menu in Quebecois. Language spoken will be one of the three First Nations, but don't worry sign language works fine, for a Cockney from London, England, when she looked puzzled at my Parisian French. It ain't that bad, surely. Might be the most amazing train in the whole of Canada. I have also done the Ontario Northland from Toronto (in those days) to Moosonee. If you like a rail adventure, the Tshiuetin might be something to look at. The hotel in Schefferville books up quickly. They only have 10 bedrooms. You drove from Montreal to Sept Iles ?! I flew from Montreal, via Quebec City ! The drive, whilst scenic along the St Lawrence, must have taken you a week ? At Port Cartier (west of Sept Iles, on the 138 Road) I think there is another freight line, to Gagnon. The 138 Road ends at Havre St Pierre.
I do. I bought mine for $299 on sale, so even better value. If there's 2 long distance trips you want to do in Coach, it should pay off. Remember you cannot upgrade from Coach to a sleeper though.
There's many, many more things wrong with Amtrak than just the track priorities unfortunately. It's become a bit of a tired excuse in my opinion. Yes, they suffer schedule impacts, but that doesn't cover things like "flexible dining", inconsistent service standards, lack of redundancy in rolling stock so they can overcome equipment difficulties or their general lack of planning. Just my opinion...
Fair point, however closer to New York the train was packed, and it would have needed quite a number of coaches (each with an engine) to carry those passengers.
It’s so great that the Vermonter is back. THANKFULLY TO CONGRESS AND AMTRAK!!
So descriptive, great snacks by the way! I love Vermont cheese☺️
Love your videos
Thank you Mariana
thanks for posting. hope you enjoyed your trip. come on back here to st albans anytime!
Thank you for making this video! Will be visiting VT soon.
Hi Anthony, there’s also the Ethan Allen as well, which has just had its route extended
St. Albans is a very small station and is mainly used since it is right on the Canadian border. The Vermonter used to be called the Montrealer back in the 90s and ran all the way to Montreal as an overnight train. There is frequently talk about extending the train to Montreal once again, but for now it ends in St. Albans.
@T C I found it really surprising that the train pulls into the Main St pretty much. I guess I’m more used to trains pulling into stations with platforms. Also surprised that the same crew overnighted there and were the same crew going back (until Springfield that is)
In Ashland VA, Amtrak trains run right through a street in town, with often exciting car versus train results. In other towns there are freight trains going down the centre of streets.
I’m in Montreal and I really want the Adirondack to NYC to start again - it stopped when the land border closed due to covid. However its timetable is annoying as it leaves Montreal at 10am and may not get into NYC until well after 9pm (if you are lucky) due to immigration processing at the border, delays from.freight traffic and a very old road bed. That’s really inconvenient if you want to travel further on, or even want to stay in NYC. Meanwhile the flight takes just over an hour! High(er) speed rail travel on this route has been promised forever but I doubt I’ll see it, lol. We can’t even get high speed from Montreal to Toronto.
Seems like there’s no political will to do it. I’m pretty sure between NYC, Montreal, Toronto and even Detroit there’d be a ready market for HSR
Supposedly the Vermonter will become the montrealer again.
Mark another information & interesting video. I caught the Maple Leaf from Penn Station to Toronto back in 1985, the new Moynihan Train Hall sure is a huge improvement. Crossing over Hell Gate Bridge NY made me feel as if I was in Sydney (Australia) crossing the Sydney Harbor Bridge in terms of a similar bridge structure. Have added the Vermonter to my 'bucket list'.
Dennis, check out my Soundview Ferry video for the Hell Gate Bridge. Yes, SHB is a copy!
You do a great job
Thankyou Brian
Thank you for this! Looks like a nice ride!
Hi Sebastian, yes it was nice and quiet when I went. I suspect with the Fall season, it’s a little busier right now
I took this trip from Baltimore a couple of days ago. It was a fabulous trip with beautiful snow-covered scenery all along the way. There is a nice hotel one block from the St. Albans station, with affordable rates during the week.
Is that the Hilton brand there in St Albans Robert? That’s where I stayed.
@@TravelwithMark Yep, nice place.
Very nice.
Thank you
I rode this train when it was called The Montrealer. I got off at St. Albans & a truck/van picked up from the train station to Jay Peak Ski Resort.
Hopefully they’ll bring back the entire route soon. Would be nice to catch it all the way to Montreal.
@@TravelwithMark I agree. And I forgot mention that when I went on my Amtrak adventure to St. Albans it was February 1990.
Thank You!
The Vermonter is a re-branding of what used to be The Montrealer which ran overnight from DC to Montreal via St. Albans. But ridership plumeted because it had a reputation for being a party train. Skiers would stay up all night partying.
Definitely no partying on the train I was on Kevin, but it was early Fall. Train was pretty empty. Didn’t make much sense for it to stop overnight in St Albany’s, but I guess that’s temporary until the border reopens
I've taken a number of ski trips on the Montrealer from NYC up to St Albans in the Northeast Kingdom region. It could get quite lively in the pub/lounge car but I don't recall it being overly raucous on the rest of the train (for the most part! Exceptions of course-) I was surprised that they curtailed service north of St Albans as a good number of their passengers came to Vermont from Quebec on that route.
I thought it might have something to do with the occasionally rude and surly customs inspectors who would come aboard at St Albans on the southbound run- they would delay our departure for an inordinately lengthy period and seemed to care very little for keeping up the quality of the passenger's travel experience.
Why would it not make sense to overnight in St. Albans? Much more ridership in the morning vs late night. Also the crew rest period is required so they can't leave until a crew is called @@TravelwithMark
Great video. My wife and I travelled on the AMTRAK Vermonter from New York Penn to St Albans and back, for my 50th birthday bash, flying from London, England. We travelled in coach too. I prefer the seating material in coach (of an unrefurbished Amfleet 1 car) to the slippery / hot leather seats in business class. Plus the business class is in the same coach as the diner, what with the heat from the diner, and the bustle of people walking passed, coach, in our opinion, was better. For my wife's 50th birthday bash, we flew from London to Toronto, and caught the AMTRAK Maple Leaf to New York. We even had one P32-AC-DM and two P42DCs on load 5, south of Albany. Doing American railroads one at a time LOL ! We have done the complete Alaska Railroad (Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward and Whittier) and the whole of the White Pass & Yukon from Skagway to Carcross. We stayed a whole week in lovely St Albans, Vermont. Great people, the 14th Star Brewery, culture, pretty churches, a large park with a fountain, a gentile pace of life to unwind in, and plenty of railway action. By staying longer than one night in St. Albans, you have the added bonus of different locomotives back.
Sounds like you guys love your rail journeys Vic! I’m hoping to do Alaska soon. I’m also hoping to do more European trains.
@@TravelwithMark We did Alaska with PTG Tours. They do a 12 day tour of every line (Alaska Railroad, White Pass & Yukon - including Carcross and some smaller railways) 15,000 miles in 12 days. 10 days up at 05.00. 2 days up at 04.00. 2 nights abed at 02.00. 23 trains, 23 buses, 5 aircraft, 3 (7 hrs) sea voyages. We saw Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, Ospreys, Horned Puffin, Willow Grouse, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Moose, Caribou (reindeer), Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Ground Squirrels, Beluga Whales, Humpback Whales, Orcas (Killer Whales), Minkie Whales, Sealions, Sea Otters, and Dolphins. Jet lag lasted 3 weeks ! We have done 33 tours with PTG Tours. The charter trains with a fully licensed dining car are truly superb, with craft beers, wines, and three course meals on offer. Even saw Eastern Imperial Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle in Hungary. Had cabrides on the locomotive in Canada, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Austria and Hungary with them. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Also done every railway, either on a tour or independently, in Britain, Ireland, Canada (except Churchill which is still on the Bucket List), Portugal, Norway, and most of the rest of Europe. If you want recommendations, just ask. Always happy to help. For remoteness, try the Tshiuetin Railway from Sept Iles to Schefferville. Run by friendly and hospitable First Nations peoples. Superb scenery. Best avoid winter unless you like -63C (Alaska is only -40C and Moscow is only -25C). You will see wolves and bears. Can't guarantee you will get a ride on the locomotive, like I did. LOL !
Wow Vic, that is awesome. Definitely some places there I want to travel to as well. I HAVE been to Sept Isles. I drove there from Montreal a few years ago but was not aware of the railway. Looks like I'll need to revisit.
@@TravelwithMark There TWO railways at Sept Iles. Both owned by the Quebec North Shore & Labrador. The first is a freight line to Labrador City. I don't think this has any public passenger train services. The traffic is iron ore, and trains load up to 35,000 tons (which make them the third heaviest in the world). The second line, diverges at Emeril Junction, bound for Schefferville, and has a twice weekly passenger train service. Passenger trains run northbound on Mondays and Thursdays, and southbound on Tuesdays and Fridays. The train is operated by the Tshiuetin and runs a total of 357 miles north of any road between Sept Iles and Schefferville. It is the only passenger line that crosses the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. So I have done this province as well as Carcross in Yukon Territory. The line from Emeril Junction to Schefferville is owned by the QNS&L, but leased to Tshiuetin. The train, and a small (seasonal ?) airstrip is the only way in or out of Schefferville. Arrange with the hotel in Schefferville to pick you up at the station. Wear stout footwear, thick jeans, long trousers, coats, long sleeved jackets, zip it up to cover your neck, and a hat. The pesky biting insects, will attempt to enter your ears, nose and mouth. But the journey is amazing. The train stops at Mai for an hour, and the staff lock the train down, while they go for lunch, leaving the passengers to amuse themselves. It is a flag-stop service, and folk board and alight in what we might call the middle-of-no-where, and they call home. Far more remote than the Alaska Railroad ! Between Fairbanks and Anchorage there is the railroad, the highway and the pipeline, and international airports at both ends. On the Tshiuetin, there is barely a sign that man has ever been there. The climb out of Sept Iles is quite steep, and it is a good job the freight trains run empty northbound ! They need their dynamic brakes southbound, when loaded. In Sept Iles, the railway has an office, and if you ask nicely, they will sell you souvenirs. We got baseball hats and tie pins. Boarding in Sept Iles is roughly one hour before departure, so folk can load houses, boats, and provisions, by fork-lift truck. The train is a mixed train, of freight cars on the front, and passenger coaches on the rear. Our train was hauled by a pair of F40s (601 and 602), but I think they now have more powerful locos. There are some excellent videos on TH-cam if you want to spoil the surprise of the fabulous scenery. The train does have a buffet / café car. Menu in Quebecois. Language spoken will be one of the three First Nations, but don't worry sign language works fine, for a Cockney from London, England, when she looked puzzled at my Parisian French. It ain't that bad, surely. Might be the most amazing train in the whole of Canada. I have also done the Ontario Northland from Toronto (in those days) to Moosonee. If you like a rail adventure, the Tshiuetin might be something to look at. The hotel in Schefferville books up quickly. They only have 10 bedrooms. You drove from Montreal to Sept Iles ?! I flew from Montreal, via Quebec City ! The drive, whilst scenic along the St Lawrence, must have taken you a week ? At Port Cartier (west of Sept Iles, on the 138 Road) I think there is another freight line, to Gagnon. The 138 Road ends at Havre St Pierre.
I’m putting this on my list!
It's pretty big seats and quite stable/not much vibration coaches.. thanks Mark to taking us to the virtual tours.. All the best and travel safe ❤
Glad you enjoyed it
looking for a train trip that will let us see fall color in September. would this one be a good choice? Is September too early anyway? thanks B
Either the Vermonter or Ethan Allen should fit the bill for you at the right time
Actually , the diesels are diesel electric locomotives. The final drive power is electric. It's it's own power station.
How long was the ride up ?
Ride up took about 8 hours.
Pardon, But Where did you stay while in St Albans? Did you rent a car? Thank You for posting your video.
Hampton Inn. Train station is in the middle of town and just a block away to the Hampton Inn. No need for a car.
Thank you
This train starts in Washington DC
I think about taking the business class to Vermont
You don't get much extra, but then again the price isn't much more.
Do you think the rail pass is worth the 499 dollar price tag it is now?
I do. I bought mine for $299 on sale, so even better value. If there's 2 long distance trips you want to do in Coach, it should pay off. Remember you cannot upgrade from Coach to a sleeper though.
I'm taking amteak to Orlando Florida in February, 21 hours trip.. im very nervous, I've never traveled by amtrak before....🙄🙄🙄
It should be fun! Which train are you on? Sleeper or coach?
Nice video, as I will be going on this route in March! what do you use for your speedometer?
Hi Cristopher, I use the Speedometer app on my iPhone. Then just blend it in during editing. Will you be taking video?
@@TravelwithMark hopefully yes! You just used a regular camera?
@@Prunejuice928 for this one I used a DJI Pocket 2. I’ve just bought a Canon R5 so hope to lift my game 😀
ASMR
AmTrak doesn’t stand a chance as long as freight trains have track priority.
There's many, many more things wrong with Amtrak than just the track priorities unfortunately. It's become a bit of a tired excuse in my opinion. Yes, they suffer schedule impacts, but that doesn't cover things like "flexible dining", inconsistent service standards, lack of redundancy in rolling stock so they can overcome equipment difficulties or their general lack of planning. Just my opinion...
3 passengers on a train with a 4,000hp diesel locomotive running at the front. Not fantastic IMHO. A bus would be far more sustainable.
Fair point, however closer to New York the train was packed, and it would have needed quite a number of coaches (each with an engine) to carry those passengers.