Amtrak didn’t tell its passengers that service between Penn Station and Albany is being drastically slashed by nearly a quarter. The 23% reduction was only sussed out by the Empire State Passengers Association using the schedules. But it is absolutely true that starting on Nov. 11, rail travel along the Hudson River (a beautiful ride with views of Bannerman Castle and West Point) is being whacked by Amtrak and the shame is that it doesn’t need to happen at all. Since this Empire Line route is paid for by New York State, Gov. Hochul — the person writing the check — must tell Amtrak to change their terrible plans. Hochul was correct and forceful in killing the stupid LaGuardia AirTrain. With Amtrak, the governor must be decisive again. The problem is that Amtrak has yet to repair the two of its four East River tubes between Manhattan and Queens that were soaked by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The two tubes that got wet, Line 1 and Line 2, connect Queens with the southern half of Penn, used by Amtrak and NJTransit. Line 3 and Line 4, linking the northern part of Penn, are used by the Long Island Rail Road and did not flood. Amtrak wants to fully shut down Line 2 and then Line 1. This major disruption to Penn Station operations is set to last three years. The last day of normal service will be Nov. 10 and starting Nov. 11 traffic will be curtailed. And we believe that running Penn missing a tube for three years will cause more issues than the railroads predict. A far smarter approach is the idea championed by the engineering faculties of Columbia and Cornell that the MTA’s Janno Lieber used to repair the Sandy-damaged L and F tubes: fixing the tunnels nights and weekends while maintaining all normal trains. Lieber wants the same for the Amtrak tubes and testified as such before a May 7, 2021 state Senate hearing. Or ask Congressman Jerry Nadler, who used to take that Albany train when he was Assemblyman Nadler; he knows that repair in place is the faster, less expensive method. Or read the 2020 London Bridge Associates report prepared for the Port Authority and the Gateway Development Commission, showing that repair in place is the norm everywhere else. The culprit is Amtrak, which as we’ve well documented for years, refuses any innovation. Albany area Assemblymembers Pat Fahy and John McDonald, angry at the lost service, echo calls from the Empire State Passengers Association to add cars to the remaining trains. While that’s easy, a better idea is offered by AmeriStarRail, which is run by a former leader of Philly’s SEPTA commuter line, Scott Spencer, and former Amtrak President Paul Reistrup. AmeriStarRail can keep 100% of Albany service by having trains terminate in Philly or D.C., avoiding the East River tubes. It also links Albany directly with points south of New York for the first time. Hochul should agree with Spencer’s request for a 60-day freeze, until after the holidays, sparing passengers the cut and allowing time for the AmeriStarRail alternative. Amtrak always puts passengers last. Hochul should use her clout to put them first.