Rensselaer

Question: How long does it take for Amtrak to fix escalators?

Answer: At least six weeks — and counting.

The escalators in question are at the Rensselaer train station, where they carry passengers to and from the platforms. And, yes, they're broken, forcing many customers to haul luggage up or down long stairways.

"I've seen a lot of elderly people, and people with disabilities, having a real problem," said Mark Looney, a state worker who lives in Averill Park and frequently takes Amtrak to New York City. "It's shocking that the escalators can't be kept in working order."

I agree, especially considering that the $53.1 million station, built with public money, is just 11 years old.

The Capital District Transportation Authority operates the building, but says the escalators are beyond its control. They're Amtrak's domain, a CDTA spokeswoman said.

OK, so what gives, Amtrak?

Spokesman Clifford Cole, in an initial email, said the escalators "were taken out of service around six weeks ago to replace the existing system, which was in need of an upgrade." The work, he said, has been slowed by a back order of parts needed to complete the job.

Well, if the timing of the move was optional, why not acquire the parts before stopping the escalators and starting the work? After all, nobody cooks a big meal without going to the supermarket.

I asked Cole that question over the phone, but never got a satisfying answer.

"The system failed," he said.

Failed? But the earlier email said the escalators "were taken out of service." Plus, we're talking about two escalators separated by railroad tracks. They both stopped working at the same time?

"The system failed. That's the answer," Cole said. "I think we've given you plenty of information."

Ouch.

But, on some level, I understand Cole's irritation. He works in Manhattan, and I'm sure answering questions about escalators in rinky-dink Rensselaer isn't his favorite way to pass the time.

Yet the Rensselaer train station is the nation's ninth-busiest, and most of its passengers are paying at least $70 and sometimes much more for the back-and-forth trip to New York. Don't they deserve working escalators?

Now, each railroad platform in Rensselaer has an elevator, so the station is complying with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. But one elevator can't handle heavy passenger volume, so people are sometimes forced to endure a long wait — or take the stairs. Most choose the stairs.

I visited the station twice this week. I never saw anyone repairing the escalators, but I did see plenty of riders huffing and puffing as they hauled their bags up the stairs. Some of those people were getting their first introduction to the Capital Region.

Welcome to Albany, folks! Enjoy your hike up the stairway! (Oh, and by the way, you aren't actually in Albany just yet...)

Cole apologized to passengers for the disruption, and said Amtrak is "hopeful" the escalators will be up and running by the end of the month.

"We feel that this work, while inconvenient, will provide long-term benefits to the passengers through a more modern and reliable system," Cole added.

Sounds nice, and I can't wait to take the reborn escalators for a spin. But if they're finished by the end of the month — a big "if," in my opinion — that would mean Amtrak allowed the escalators to sit still for 10 weeks.

On-time performance?

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cchurchill@timesunion.com • 518-454-5700 • @chris_churchill