Amtrak passengers brave holiday rush on the rails

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A little bit of snow and rain did little to slow down holiday travel. Crowds packed the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station on Nov. 22, looking to get to their Thanksgiving destinations.

“We’re visiting our daughter and her husband in Queens," Charles Huff said. "Nice, easy trip taking the train down to New York.”

Not everyone is able to visit family this weekend -- some students who can't make it home are using the break to explore Canada.

“This is my first time going internationally," Andrea Buscos said. "I’m really excited for that and also in Williamstown we don’t get the best food so I’m really really excited for that.”

“It’s hard to travel where we go to school," Yazen Oubari said. "It’s really isolated so we’re looking forward to going to a big city.” 

Amtrak said they're prepared for the busiest travel days of the year, increasing the number of running trains through Nov. 27. With gas and airline ticket prices continuing to soar, Jason Abrams, Amtrak spokesperson, said more people are choosing the railroads.

“We’re seeing incredible demand across the country in terms of how many people love taking the train, how many more people are taking the train," Abrams said.

The travel rush does not come without concern. The Albany to New York City line was recently suspended because of a structural issues at a parking garage in New York City, Abrams said the rail company is prepared to handle any difficulties including inclement weather.

“We implemented a new notification system for customers," Abrams said. "This way our customers are up to date on what’s happening and so we can make the proper notifications or monitor for the future.” 

For most travelers, all eyes are already on that Thanksgiving turkey.

“The turkey has to have the stuffing inside not just cooked separately, that’s a tradition," Huff said. "You have to have turkey with the stuffing inside.”