You are currently viewing Amtrak Maple Leaf: Schedule, Stops, & Route Guide
Amtrak Maple Leaf: Schedule, Stops, & Route Guide

The Amtrak Maple Leaf provides daily service between New York City and Toronto, traveling through the Hudson Valley, Upstate New York, Niagara Falls, and Southern Ontario.

Since this is an international train, passengers traveling across the border will go through customs and immigration at Niagara Falls. VIA Rail operates the Canadian segment of the journey. If you are only traveling within Canada or need information about VIA Rail trains 97 and 98, please refer to my VIA Rail 97 & 98 guide.

Amtrak Maple Leaf Quick Answer

The Amtrak Maple Leaf offers daily train service between New York City and Toronto. Along the way, it makes stops in Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls. The entire journey takes approximately 12½ to 13 hours, which includes time for inspection at the U.S.-Canada border.

The Maple Leaf service offers Coach and Business Class seating, café service, and power outlets, with Wi-Fi available while traveling within the United States. However, it does not provide sleeping accommodations or checked baggage services.

Amtrak operates the Maple Leaf service as trains 63 and 64.

The Amtrak Maple Leaf at the Borad crossing in Niagra Falls, Ontario. People are getting off the train and walking on the platform.
Amtrak’s Maple Leaf at the Niagara Falls border crossing
Amfleet 1
The inside of an Amfleet I Coach Car found on many regional trains

Amtrak Maple Leaf Schedule

The Maple Leaf runs daily between New York City and Toronto. Train 63 is headed toward Toronto, while Train 64 is headed toward New York City.

The entire journey takes approximately 12½ to 13 hours. Times may vary, so please check your ticket or the Amtrak app before traveling.

Train 63 → TorontoStationTrain 64 → New York
7:15 a.m.New York, NY – Moynihan Train Hall (NYP)9:21 p.m. weekdays / 9:16 p.m. weekends
7:44 a.m.Yonkers, NY (YNY)8:42 p.m. weekdays / 8:37 p.m. weekends
8:03 a.m.Croton-Harmon, NY (CRT)8:22 p.m. weekdays / 8:17 p.m. weekends
8:45 a.m. weekdays / 8:50 a.m. weekendsPoughkeepsie, NY (POU)7:41 p.m. weekdays / 7:36 p.m. weekends
9:00 a.m. weekdays / 9:05 a.m. weekendsRhinecliff, NY (RHI)7:25 p.m. weekdays / 7:20 p.m. weekends
9:21 a.m. weekdays / 9:26 a.m. weekendsHudson, NY (HUD)7:03 p.m. weekdays / 6:57 p.m. weekends
10:10 a.m.Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)6:40 p.m. weekdays / 6:35 p.m. weekends
10:34 a.m.Schenectady, NY (SDY)5:39 p.m.
10:52 a.m.Amsterdam, NY (AMS)4:52 p.m.
11:51 a.m.Utica, NY (UCA)3:52 p.m.
12:05 p.m.Rome, NY (ROM)3:33 p.m.
12:59 p.m.Syracuse, NY – Regional Transportation Center (SYR)2:50 p.m.
2:19 p.m.Rochester, NY – Louise M. Slaughter Station (ROC)1:25 p.m.
3:25 p.m.Buffalo, NY – Depew Station (BUF)12:30 p.m.
3:40 p.m.Buffalo, NY – Exchange Street Station (BFX)12:15 p.m.
5:00 p.m.Niagara Falls, NY (NFL)11:40 a.m.
5:45 p.m.Niagara Falls, ON (NFS)10:22 a.m.
6:08 p.m.St. Catharines, ON (SCA)9:58 a.m.
6:27 p.m.Grimsby, ON (GMS)9:38 a.m.
7:04 p.m.Aldershot, ON (AST)9:01 a.m.
7:19 p.m.Oakville, ON (OKL)8:45 a.m.
7:43 p.m.Toronto, ON – Union Station (TWO)8:20 a.m.

It’s important to note that VIA Rail operates the Canadian section of the Maple Leaf using the same equipment as Amtrak. In Canada, the train operates as VIA Rail Trains 97 and 98, with no transfer required.

Passengers crossing the border must disembark from the train with their luggage for customs and immigration checks. If you are traveling to Toronto, the inspection occurs in Niagara Falls, Ontario. If you are heading to New York, the inspection takes place in Niagara Falls, New York. Once the inspections are complete, you can reboard the same train and continue your journey.

When traveling between the United States and Toronto, you can book your entire journey using either Amtrak or VIA Rail. However, if your trip includes any intermediate stops in Canada, you may need to make separate reservations with Amtrak and VIA Rail.

If you are traveling within Canada or wish to stop at a Canadian station outside of Toronto or Niagara Falls, please refer to my VIA Rail Trains 97 & 98 guide.

New York State Fair Stop

During the New York State Fair, the Maple Leaf makes a seasonal stop at the New York State Fairgrounds (NYF) near Syracuse.

For the 2026 fair, Train 63 is scheduled to stop at NYF at 1:11 p.m., while Train 64 is scheduled for 2:29 p.m.

You can find more information about taking Amtrak to the fair in my New York State Fair by Amtrak guide.

Official Amtrak Maple Leaf Timetable

You can view Amtrak’s official Maple Leaf timetable for the latest schedule and connecting services.

Kev’s Tip: Train schedules can change, so use this table for trip planning and confirm your departure time with Amtrak before you travel.

Seating on the Amtrak Maple Leaf

The Maple Leaf offers both Coach and Business Class seating, but there are no sleeping accommodations available on this train.

Coach Class

Coach Class offers spacious reclining seats with generous legroom, individual reading lights, fold-down tray tables, and power outlets. There are no middle seats, and overhead luggage racks are designed to accommodate smaller bags. Restrooms are accessible in the coach cars.

Seats are typically arranged in pairs, making Coach a comfortable choice for both short trips and the full New York-to-Toronto journey.

For additional information about what to expect, take a look at my guide on Amtrak Coach Class.

Layout of an Amtrak regional train coach car
Regional Coach Car Layout: Click the photo for more details.

Business Class

Bussiness Class
An example of Amtrak’s business class

Business Class provides more comfortable seating, leather seats, footrests, and additional amenities. Passengers also receive complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and a 25% bonus on Amtrak Guest Rewards points. Business Class tickets are fully refundable if canceled before departure.

Currently, Business Class on the Maple Leaf is situated in the café/business car.

Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is available while the Maple Leaf travels within the United States, but it is not offered on the Canadian segment of the route. If you plan to use your phone or hotspot in Canada, please check whether your cellular plan includes data coverage there. Learn more about Wi-Fi on Amtrak.

Food on the Maple Leaf

One way I would like to break up a trip is to stop at the café car and take Amtrak’s Maple Leaf!

You may bring food and drink aboard the train, but you cannot consume the alcohol you brought aboard. Be aware that some food items cannot be taken across borders when traveling between countries; please check if you have any questions.

This particular café operates differently from typical ones. Amtrak manages it as the train travels from New York to Niagara Falls, NY, but it closes after the Buffalo Exchange Street stop

VIA Cafe food on the Maple Leaf. The meal is a wrap and beer.
VIA Café food on the Maple Leaf

While in the USA.

Amtrak removes all its food items before crossing the border. While passengers go through Customs, VIA takes over and stocks the café with its food and drinks for the trip to Toronto. If you go the other way, it is the same idea, but reversed.

Amtrak passengers traveling through the U.S. can enjoy a variety of hot and cold meals, snacks, and beverages throughout most of their journey. 

The café car only accepts U.S. currency in the United States.

While in Canada

While the train is in Canada, VIA offers food and drinks, but they are not warm. The offerings are smaller due to the shorter route in Canada.

In the Canadian section, the café will accept only credit cards, prepaid cards, and VIA Rail gift cards for onboard café purchases.

Here is a sample VIA café car menu; please note that some items may not be available.

Amtrak Maple Leaf Add-ons

You can bring a bike or pet on your next trip; please review the pet and bike policy.

Pets

Amtrak helping passenger
An Amtrak conductor assists a passenger in finding the correct car. Photo Courtesy of Amtrak

Amtrak allows dogs and cats up to 20 pounds (combined weight of pet and carrier) while traveling in the USA, but you cannot bring pets on the Canadian sections of this route. You need to complete the paperwork before boarding the train. For the full rules and paperwork, please refer to Amtrak’s pet policy.

For those with a service or comfort animal, please check Amtrak’s service animal policy to ensure it qualifies and to find booking instructions.

Bikes

Amtrak allows a limited number of bikes on this train. Please indicate if you plan to bring your bike when booking. Make sure to check Amtrak’s policy before booking.

Luggage

This train does not offer checked baggage.

Each passenger may carry on:

  • One personal item, up to 25 pounds (12 kg), and 14 x 11 x 7 inches
  • Two carry-on pieces of luggage, 50 lbs. (23 kg) and 28 x 22 x 14 inches each

Charges apply to additional and oversized luggage; see Amtrak’s carry-on bag policy for more information.

A quick look at crossing the U.S./Canadian border

Information in this section is sourced directly from Amtrak.

To ensure a smooth process, you must be prepared and honest when dealing with border officers.

You must be aware of what you can bring into the country you are going to, including money and agricultural goods.

Sites like Customs and Border Protection can help you travel to the USA, and the Canada Border Services Agency can assist you with crossing into Canada.

Ensure your documents are in order before reaching the Canadian or U.S. border, including your passport and any other required identification. Additionally, have your items ready, as customs will inspect them with you, and you may need to return them to a different seat. 

It’s essential to remember that a valid passport or equivalent identification is required when crossing the Canadian-United States border. Despite Amtrak’s reminders, I have heard of people attempting to cross the border without one, and their experiences haven’t gone well.

Border crossings can cause delays to the Amtrak Maple Leaf and VIA Trains 97 and 98.

You may experience delays at border crossings. Such delays are typically due to U.S. or Canadian customs and immigration procedures, which are beyond Amtrak’s and VIA’s control.

Inspections will occur in Niagara Falls during travel to and from Toronto. Passengers will deboard with their baggage at the border, should be prepared to show the ID they selected when making reservations, and will then reboard the same train. The same is true when entering the USA.

My goal is to keep these as up to date as possible.

Safe Travels,

Kev

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Kevin Monteith

Kev Monteith helps travelers navigate Amtrak with confidence—whether you’re planning your first overnight journey or optimizing a cross-country route. Since 2012, Kev has logged over 200,000 miles on more than 800 Amtrak trips, covering everything from Northeast Regional commutes to Coast Starlight sleepers. Through TravelsWithKev.com, he shares practical tips, honest reviews, and insider knowledge that comes only from spending extensive time on the rails. When he’s not traveling, Kev is an organist, spending time with his family, and having a brew or two.

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