Today’s Headlines
• Amtrak Opens New Brattleboro Station
• The Berkshire Flyer is Back, with a New Schedule
• West Springfield | Front Street Crossing Project Meeting
• MassDOT Capital Investment Plan Finalized
• Fourth Annual WMTAN Forum
• Then and Now: Westfield
• Mass Central Railroad to Be Sold
• Rail Narnia in Southampton
Calendar
Vermont Rail Advisory Council
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 1 pm – 3 pm
VTrans, 2178 Airport Rd, Barre, VT
Hybrid meeting (online option available)
Amtrak Opens New Brattleboro Station
On June 24, Amtrak, in conjunction with the Town of Brattleboro, the State of Vermont, the Federal Railroad Administration, the New England Central Railroad, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation, officially opened the new Brattleboro station with the arrival of Train 55, the southbound Vermonter.
The new station replaces the former Amtrak station, which for decades consisted of little more than a small waiting area in the old baggage room of the historic Union Station building.
The new station includes:
- A new station building with an indoor waiting room and an ADA-accessible single-occupant restroom.
- A 345-foot-long, level boarding platform that is 48 inches above the top of the rail, allowing for accessible boarding.
- Two ramps and two sets of stairs connecting the parking level to the new platform.
- A covered outdoor waiting area with benches.
- Platform improvements including an electric snow-melt system, lighting, railings, a detectable warning edge, and new signage to improve passenger safety.
- Brattleboro Words Trail, an interactive public art installation featuring stories about literary figures connected to the Brattleboro area, including Rudyard Kipling, Robert Frost, and Lucy Terry Prince. Designed by Brattleboro artist Cynthia Houghton, the exhibit permanently occupies the platform-facing exterior wall of the new station.
The project represents a $10 million federal investment administered by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The Brattleboro station is one of many accessibility projects being completed as part of Amtrak’s nationwide ADA Stations Program.
Through funding provided by Congress and administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, the program is advancing designs for 134 stations and construction projects at more than 100 stations as Amtrak works toward making all of its stations fully accessible by 2029.
The station serves Amtrak’s daily Vermonter, providing direct service between Washington, D.C., New York, Springfield, Brattleboro, White River Junction, Essex Junction–Burlington, and St. Albans.
Further information
“New Amtrak station lauded for accessibility, welcoming vibe”
By Chris Mays | Brattleboro Reformer | June 24, 2026
Video: Brattleboro Vermont Opens New Amtrak Station (2m 56s)
IMR Films via YouTube | June 24th, 2026
The Berkshire Flyer is Back, with a New Schedule
Amtrak’s Berkshire Flyer service between New York Penn Station and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, returned on June 12 for the 2026 season.
New for 2026 is a much earlier departure from New York Penn Station at 11:06 a.m., with arrival in Pittsfield at 3:00 p.m.
The train also now operates round trips between New York and Pittsfield on both Fridays and Sundays, rather than operating northbound only on Fridays and southbound only on Sundays, as it did in previous years.
What’s particularly interesting is that the new schedule is similar to that of the Vermonter, which departs New York Penn Station in the late morning and arrives at stations in western Massachusetts in the mid-afternoon.
One issue that has not been solved is the limited availability of seats due to the high demand for Empire Corridor trains departing New York on Fridays and returning on Sundays. The best way to secure a seat is to book well in advance.
Thanks go out to everyone at Amtrak, MassDOT, and NYSDOT who found a way to bring back the Berkshire Flyer this year with a greatly improved schedule.
Further reading
The Berkshire Flyer
1Bershire
West Springfield | Front Street Crossing Project Meeting
West Springfield Town Hall | June 25, 2026
On June 25, MassDOT hosted a Public Informational Meeting at Town Hall in West Springfield to present and discuss its proposal to replace the Front Street and First Street at-grade railroad crossings with an overpass.
At the meeting, MassDOT and its consultants presented three concepts for the project. After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each, they announced that they intend to move forward with Concept B, shown below.
MassDOT also announced that it had recently applied for a $38 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration through its Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.
After the presentation, the floor was opened to questions — first from the many local public officials in attendance, and then from members of the general public.
A number of attendees asked about the impact the project could have on commercial and residential properties in the immediate project area. MassDOT said that, at this stage of the project, it has not yet determined the exact impact the project would have on individual properties.
Based on the concept presented, it appears that the largest land takings will be required on either side of the tracks, where the new road alignment will approach the overpass and rise to provide the required 14-foot clearance over the railroad tracks. Additionally, a number of relatively small parcels of land may be needed for features such as sidewalks.
The next public meeting is expected to be held in the spring of 2027, when MassDOT expects to present the 25% design for the project.
The project remains in the preliminary design stage, and additional opportunities for public input are expected as the design advances.
Further information
Meeting Presentation (PDF)
MassDOT |
Video recording of the meeting (1h 7m)
Town of West Springfield
the meeting starts at 06:00, and the Q&A begins at 24:34
Front Street crossing (West Springfield)
Trains In The Valley
MassDOT Capital Investment Plan Finalized
MassDOT 2027-2031 Capital Investment Plan
At its June meeting, the MassDOT Board of Directors approved the FY2027–FY2031 Capital Investment Plan (CIP). The $20.7 billion five-year plan includes $4.4 billion in investments supported by Fair Share revenues and will fund improvements to roads, bridges, culverts, rail, and transit infrastructure across the Commonwealth.
The plan also includes significant investments in the MBTA, Regional Transit Authorities, municipal transportation programs, and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
In our region, the CIP will fund the planning, design, and construction of numerous rail projects, as we have summarized in the sheet linked below. Together, these investments will improve rail infrastructure for both freight and passenger services in our area.
Notably the CIP includes (on row 6) a project to construct a second platform at the existing station in Pittsfield. A planning and design study is underway to identify potential locations and platform types including consideration of a new siding track.
The CIP also includes (on row 13) a project that Train In The Valley and State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa have long advocated for: the installation of the rail safety technology known as Positive Train Control (PTC) on the MassDOT-owned Connecticut River Main Line. This corridor is used by Amtrak’s Valley Flyer and Vermonter services, as well as by Berkshire & Eastern, the freight railroad that operates on the line.
The PTC project will begin with the installation of 49 miles of conduit and fiber-optic cable between Springfield and East Northfield, along with the planning and design work necessary to implement and enable PTC throughout the corridor.
Further information
Rail Project in the Pioneer Valley – MassDOT 2027-2031 CIP (PDF)
Trains In The Valley
Fourth Annual WMTAN Forum
On Friday June 12, The Food Bank and its partners in the Western Massachusetts Transportation Advocacy Network (WMTAN) hosted their fourth annual forum discussing issues and potential solutions regarding public transportation in the western half of the Commonwealth.
The forum, which featured guest speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, brought together advocates, transportation professionals, legislators, and others interested in improving transportation funding and options in the four counties of western Massachusetts.
Rail advocates from across the region hosted in the afternoon titled — The Future of Western Mass Rail: From Grassroots Advocacy to Reality.
Advocates for the Valley Flyer, East–West Rail, and the Northern Tier discussed their work to expand and improve passenger rail service in western Massachusetts, highlighting coalition-building and other effective advocacy strategies. The panel examined opportunities to strengthen connections east to Boston, south to New York City, and west to Albany; and to expand service north to Montreal.
Rail Panel Bios (PDF)
Rail panel slides (PDF)
Further information
Other recordings from the WMTAN Forum
Then and Now: Westfield
By John L. Wilda / LeedsHillRailroad.com
Westfield’s railroad history began in 1841, when the Western Railroad built tracks through town connecting Boston to the Berkshires.
In the nearly 200 years since, there have been sixteen different railroad companies, three street railway companies, two passenger stations, and either two or three* street railway car barns.
There is quite a bit that remains in Westfield after this today. The Holyoke Branch, the former Boston & Albany Railroad train station at Old Pochassic and Elm streets, which was built in 1879, and the east-west rail corridor, which was built by the Western Railroad.
This station is soon to begin a new life as Tandem Bagel’s eighth local café — estimated to open in early 2027.
Meanwhile, the Holyoke Branch is owned and operated by Pioneer Valley Railroad, with both CSX and Amtrak using the east–west routes in town. However, no passenger train has stopped in Westfield anymore — and none has in 100 years.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of railroads and street railways in Westfield, visit LeedsHillRailroad.com. The site features historical information about New England railroads, along with model railroading resources and information about the Leeds Hill Railroad, a 45mm gauge model railroad.
Research is ongoing, so pages of the site will be updated with new findings from time to time.
In the meantime, remember to stay safe around trains and tracks.
Further information
Westfield — LeedsHillRailroad.com
Explore how Westfield evolved into a major 19th-century railway hub, featuring hidden tunnels and historic stations waiting to be discovered.
A footnote
With this post we welcome John Wilda as a writer for the Rail News Roundup. John has offered to write about the history of railroad’s in our region from time to time.
Mass Central Railroad to Be Sold
The Massachusetts Central Railroad (Mass Central) is set to change hands.
Regional Rail, a short line railroad holding company backed by the 3i Group, plans to acquire Mass Central from its current owner, The John J. Pondelli, Jr. Family Trust, in the coming weeks.
Mass Central, a Class III railroad, operates approximately 25 miles of the Ware River Secondary between Palmer and South Barre, Massachusetts. The railroad interchanges with CSX and New England Central at Palmer.
Mass Central owns approximately 1.4 miles of the line, while the remaining track is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In related news, MassDOT recently launched a project to repair and perform heavy maintenance on the Ware River Secondary.
The planned work includes repairing or replacing 25 turnouts, resurfacing or replacing approximately 3.5 miles of track, and replacing joint bars and track fasteners along 11 miles of track. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Rail Narnia in Southampton
Anyone who has biked or walked south on the Manhan Rail Trail knows that the trail comes to an abrupt end at Coleman Road, just beyond the Easthampton–Southampton town line.
What some people may not realize is that just beyond the end of the trail lies an abandoned railroad, with the tracks still in place.
These tracks haven’t been used for a very long time. (likely the early 1990s)
The Southampton GIS map shows that there is a roughly 40-foot-wide linear corridor here that continues through Southampton for approximately five miles beyond Coleman Road.
The GIS data also shows that the corridor was sold by the Pioneer Valley Railroad to the Town of Southampton in December 2022.
In the coming years, the old tracks will be removed and the former rail line will be converted into the Greenway Rail Trail, a shared-use path. Once completed, the trail will help close the gap between the Westfield Columbia Greenway and the Southampton Manhan Rail Trail.
In the meantime enjoy the chance to have a peek at the old line from Coleman Road.
Further reading
About the Southampton Greenway
Town of Southampton
Friends of the Southampton Greenway