Amtrak Returns to Canada

Amtrak resumed trains to Toronto on Monday, two years after the international passenger rail service was suspended in the early days of the pandemic.

The daily Maple Leaf train connects New York and Toronto in 12-and-a-half hours, according to Amtrak. Trains cross the border near Niagara Falls, N.Y. The railroad's passenger trains to Montreal and Vancouver remain suspended.

“The return of this vital rail connection is welcome news not just for passengers who love to travel, but for countless businesses across New York State and Canada who make it possible for visitors to experience the best of what every locality has to offer,” New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in a statement. “As cross border travel continues to open and increase, passenger rail is a great way to experience the beauty of New York State and Canada."

The resumption of Toronto service comes amid an expansion of Amtrak service this summer. The railroad will return to Burlington, Vt., after more than 50 years on July 29, and adds a second daily train to Roanoke, Va., on July 11. Both expansions are funded by their respective states.

Amtrak is operating near 80 percent of its pre-pandemic schedule on the Northeast Corridor, its busiest line, between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.