After a successful debut season in 2025, where it moved more than 11,000 passengers, the Finger Lakes Rail Experience is back with an even bigger season in 2026. Traveling over the rails of the Finger Lakes Railway, the excursions highlight this scenic corner of upstate New York, with trips throughout the summer and fall.

The genesis for the excursions came from Finger Lakes Railway, which approached consultants FMW Solutions to help establish a new tourist rail operation in the region. Founded in 1995, FGLK operates freight service on a 167-mile system of former New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad and Lehigh Valley tracks from its headquarters in Geneva. While the railroad has previously operated seasonal passenger excursions over the years, a shift in business priorities led to the end of charters and the sale of its excursion fleet in 2024. The new Finger Lakes Rail Experience uses vintage passenger cars leased from the United Railway Historical Society of NJ. The cars include observation-lounge Hickory Creek (Pullman, 1948, the tail car from New York Central’s famed 20th Century Limited), tavern-lounge NYC 43 (Budd, 1947) and sleeper-buffet-lounge Swift Stream (Budd, 1949).

The 2026 season features a wide variety of excursions, from family-focused foliage trips to wine trains and an adults-only evening club run. Holiday excursions are also planned for later in the year. Trips depart from Waterloo and generally last one to two hours. For more information and to see the full schedule, visit flxrailexperience.com.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff