The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY 7/12/17:
2nd railroad track opens between Schenectady, Albany
Announcement comes as new design details released on train station
An Amtrak passenger train moves westbound on the new line near Chrisler Avenue on Wednesday. Photographer: MARC SCHULTZ
The second railroad track between Schenectady and Albany has been completed, eliminating what has been a major bottleneck for passenger and freight traffic in upstate New York.
The $91.2 million track covering the 17 miles between the Capital Region's two largest cities went into service June 26 after three years of construction, according to an announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.
The long-planned track eliminates a single-track situation that had forced trains to wait for up to 20 minutes in either Schenectady or Rensselaer until an oncoming train cleared the tracks, and is seen as vital if a high-speed rail line across upstate New York is ever to be developed.