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Choo-choo, leaf-peepers: The Catskills’ most charming set of wheels is officially rolling again. After five years off the rails, the Delaware & Ulster Railroad has reopened—and just in time for autumn, when the mountains swap summer greens for a kaleidoscope of fiery reds, oranges and golds.
The heritage line, which runs out of Arkville, New York, had been shuttered since 2020 thanks to the pandemic and a slew of track repairs. Now, after a major rehab effort under the Catskills Revitalization Corp., the train is once more clattering down its 19-mile stretch of historic New York Central track. For the first time in 25 years, rides will even head east toward Fleischmanns and Highmount, offering passengers fresh views of the East Branch of the Delaware River and those postcard-worthy Catskill peaks.
The Delaware & Ulster first began operating in 1983, giving locals and visitors a chance to soak up the Catskills by rail. Think vintage locomotives, classic coach cars and even a glamorous round-end observation lounge that looks straight out of a Wes Anderson movie. On select weekends, the line levels up with dinner trains catered by Café Marguerite of Margaretville, where passengers sip wine and tuck into multi-course meals as the foliage flashes by outside.
This fall, foliage excursions will run Thursdays through Sundays from September 18 to October 12, with an extra weekend of rides October 15–17. The trip clocks in at about 45 minutes—just long enough to spot bald eagles, herons and maybe a deer or two without the kids revolting. Seating spans everything from open-air cars, perfect for those crisp October breezes, to first-class parlor tickets at $30, where you can leaf-peep in plush comfort.
Like many tourist railroads, the Delaware & Ulster shut down in 2020, but unlike others, it never bounced back quickly. Deteriorating track conditions kept it idle for years, until crews replaced ties and repaired the line to make it safe again. Locals had begun to wonder if the Catskills would ever hear the whistle again, but the relaunch this spring has already brought summer riders back in droves.
Sure, you could just drive Route 28 with a pumpkin spice latte and call it a day. But there’s something undeniably magical about riding a train through the Catskills in peak color season—the whistle echoing through the valleys, the trees exploding in every shade of autumn and the smug satisfaction of knowing you booked one of upstate’s most coveted fall activities.