Amtrak's Adirondack operates over the full length, providing daily service between New York City and Montreal.

The 21-mile (34 km) line between Schenectady and Saratoga Springs via Ballston Spa, New York, was completed in 1833.

[6] The D&H-backed New York and Canada Railroad, incorporated in 1873, completed the line between Whitehall and Plattsburgh on November 29, 1875.

[9][b] From Rouses Point, trains reached Canada over the tracks of the Grand Trunk Railway.

[14] Amtrak's Adirondack operates over the full length, providing daily service between New York City and Montreal.

The Ethan Allen Express, which serves Burlington, Vermont, leaves the line just short of Whitehall.