The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad opened a line from Albany to Schenectady in 1831.

Amtrak sees the lease as a key to improving Empire Service speeds and frequencies.

[1] As a segment of the Empire Corridor, the Hudson Line carries six Amtrak routes.

The Empire Service, Berkshire Flyer, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf operate over the entire Hudson Line, while the Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express operate over all except for the small portion northwest of the Delaware and Hudson Railway junction in Schenectady.

Commuter service was always concentrated south of Poughkeepsie: by 1940, only three daily round trips – none of them timed for commuting to New York City – made local stops between Albany and Poughkeepsie.

[10] By 1960, only a single daily round trip (timed for commuting to Albany) made local stops.