Amtrak announced it will restore most of its Empire Service line for the December holidays and most of the winter season.

Starting Dec. 2, two trains will be restored and six other trains will see one car added. The changes will remain in effect through March 2.

Amtrak's Empire Service train runs between New York City and the Albany area with some westbound service to as far as Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

It carried more than 2 million passengers in the 2024 federal fiscal year, but was reduced in October as work started on the East River Tunnel rehabilitation project in New York City, which officials had said would take three years to complete.

The temporarily restoration of service came after Gov. Kathy Hochul and other elected officials urged Amtrak to restore the service. Hochul said Friday that Amtrak has agreed to restore nearly all of the trains that were suspended.

“Ensuring access to reliable train travel throughout this key corridor is critical to riders who utilize the service and to communities who benefit from the economic activity they generate,” Hochul said in a statement. “These service restorations are a huge victory for passengers who depend on the Empire Service, and I thank Amtrak for working with us to ensure that we minimize to the fullest extent possible the schedule disruptions caused by the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project.”