This train service from Toronto will bring you right to NYC
Those looking to travel south of the border without setting foot in an airport this summer are in luck.
Railroad company Amtrak has announced that its Maple Leaf Train, in conjunction with VIA Rail, is back in business.
That means for the first time since 2020, passengers will be able to hop on to the train at Toronto’s Union Station, as well as a handful of other stations in the GTA, before arriving in New York City’s Penn Station.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“On board the Maple Leaf, customers can experience some of the best views in the country through the beautiful Hudson River Valley, New York’s wine country, and the incredible gorges of the Finger Lakes region, before crossing the US/Canadian border near the dramatic spectacle of Niagara Falls,” Amtrak’s Executive Vice President, Marketing and Revenue and Chief Commercial Officer Roger Harris said in a news release issued Monday.
The route runs roughly 12 hours and 30 minutes with stops in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and downtown New York.
A map of Amtrak's Maple Leaf Train route is seen in this image. (Amtrak.com)
However, there are some rules passengers should be aware of before they make the trip to the Big Apple.
Every passenger must wear a mask onboard the train while on Canadian soil and non-U.S. citizens will need be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with either a U.S. FDA or WHO-approved vaccine.
On the way back into Canada, all passengers must submit to using the ArriveCAN app and put their masks back on once the train crosses the border.
You can purchase a ticket for the Maple Leaf Train through Amtrak or VIA Rail -- the latter of which said it was “delighted” to be restoring the service between the two countries.
“After two years of pandemic, people are eager to travel again this summer, and the Maple Leaf experience allows passengers on both sides of the border to book a beautiful vacation and travel beyond Toronto on VIA Rail trains that can connect them right across Canada,” Michael Acosta, VIA Rail’s Senior Director, Commercial Affairs, said in a statement.
Tickets are now available with the first U.S.-bound train set to leave Union Station at 8:20 a.m. on June 28.
At the time of publication, a round-trip ticket is priced at approximately $400.
A full list of rules and regulations related to the route can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
NDP house leader laments 'agents of chaos' in precarious Parliament
NDP House leader Peter Julian says there's more his party wants to do in Parliament before the next election, but if the current dysfunction continues it will become a factor in how they vote on a confidence measure.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Here's what the jury didn't hear in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.