Today’s Headlines
• Valley Flyer Service to Start Next Friday!
• East-West Rail Meeting Followup
• Western Mass Rail Coalition Formed
• New station planned for Windsor Locks
• Extending the Vermonter to Montreal… Still Waiting
• Birnie Road Crossing Update
• Western MA Transportation Forum Planned
• Trains In The Valley’s Work Featured
CALENDAR
Western Mass Transportation Forum
(further details below)
Fri. September 13, 2019 | 9 am – 12 pm
Northampton Center for the Arts
33 Hawley Street
New Windsor Locks station | Public Information Meeting
(further details below)
Thur. September 19, 2019 | 6 pm – 8 pm
Windsor Locks Town Hall
50 Church Street
Windsor Locks, CT
2019 Northeast Multimodal and Transit Summit
Mon. November 25, 2019 | 11:00 am to 7:30 pm
Yale University
New Haven, CT
registration link
Valley Flyer Service to Start Next Friday!
MassDOT says new service will start Friday, August 30th as planned
Tickets are now available on Amtrak.com
It is our understanding that there will be special 25% promotional discount available for travel during the month of September. Details to follow.
And here’s the new schedule —
A couple of thing to keep in mind —
- This schedule is subject to slight adjustments, based on the test runs that Amtrak is doing right now during the overnight hours
- The Valley Flyer is, what MassDOT likes to call, a “pilot service.” Basically its a test to see whether there is really a market here in the valley for additional rail service. We fully expect that things, like the schedule, will be adjusted a bit as we learn what works and what doesn’t
- The schedule is not perfect, but it does what it was meant to do — which is to provide a way for people in the Pioneer Valley to travel south, to New York City as example, by train in the early morning and return in the evening. The last time that was possible was back in 1967!
- If we’re successful (meaning if enough people ride the new trains) we stand a good chance at getting additional trains. If we’re not successful then MassDOT has said simply that the Valley Flyer service will be discontinued.
We will post a more complete schedule, with the connections to/from Metro-North in New Haven, on our Valley Flyer webpage next week.
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In other news —
Amtrak has been running test trains between Springfield and Greenfield during the overnight hours over the past few weeks in preparation for the launch of the new service. The test runs are fully familiarize the crews with the operation of the new trains on the north-south rail corridor.
We’ve heard that Amtrak’s crews may start running the new schedule as early as Monday on a test basis, so don’t be surprised if you see a train in the station in Northampton (as example) at 6:10am and 8am next week.
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Amtrak and local police have been working up and down the line to remind people that trespassing on the rail line is both dangerous and illegal.
WWLP-22 News | August 16, 2019
Amtrak PD is focusing on twenty known “hot spots” along the rail line where trespassing has been a problem over time.
The Greenfield Recorder has reported that recently a man parked his vehicle a little to close to the the tracks at the Highway Auto Salvage crossing in Northampton. An oncoming train then took off one of his side-view mirrors.
Because of this incident cement blocks have been placed at the location to prevent people from parking to close to the tracks.
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Work continues on the new 362-foot high-level platform at Springfield Union Station, which is expected to partially opened before the new service is launched.
Springfield Union Station | August 15, 2019
And in Northampton and Greenfield, work on the expanded station platforms is now nearing completion.
As soon we have further information about the service we will post it on our Facebook page and on our Valley Flyer webpage.
Further reading
“Expanded rail service for Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield may begin Aug. 30; test trains running overnight this week”
By Jim Kinney | The Republican | August 15, 2019
“Amtrak promotes rail safety on eve of expanded train service”
By Michael Conners | Greenfield Recorder | August 16, 2019
“Northampton, railroad officials raise safety awareness ahead of stepped-up train service”
By Jacquelyn Voghel | Daily Hampshire Gazette | August 23, 2019
East-West Rail Meeting Followup
Here’s a video of the recent East-West Rail Study Advisory Committee, for those of you who could not attend the meeting.
The official written summary of the meeting can be found on this link
East-West Study Advisory Committee Meeting #2 Summary Notes (PDF)
MassDOT | July 23, 2019
Further reading
“East-west rail gains headway in western Mass.”
By Michael Connors | Daily Hampshire Gazette | July 26, 2019
“Berkshire delegation says east-west rail means trains, not slower, cheaper bus service”
By Jim Kinney | The Republican | July 30, 2019
Western Mass Rail Coalition Formed
Springfield, Ma. | July 23, 2019
We are pleased to announced the formation of a new coalition of like-mined people and groups across Western Mass working together towards the expansion of passenger rail service.
The organization, which is called the Western Mass Rail Coalition, met for the first time as a group after the recent East-West Rail Advisory Committee meeting in Springfield.
The goal of the organization is to unite rail advocacy groups, and business, labor, and political leaders from across the four counties of western Massachusetts, in order to speak with a strong, collective voice in favor of a robust 21st century passenger rail system connecting the region and and neighboring states.
At this meeting were representatives of the the Train Campaign, Trains In The Valley, Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop and the Chester Railway Station.
The group released the following op-ed after the meeting
“East-west rail study generating energy and enthusiasm”
Opinion | The Worcester Telegram | August 3, 2019
The op-ed was also published in the Berkshire Eagle and the Greenfield Recorder. It will be published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette later this week.
New station planned for Windsor Locks
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is moving ahead with plans to build a new train station in the town of Windsor Locks.
The new station, which would replace the current Amtrak-owned station at the south end of town, will be located just to the north of the historic station building on Main Street.
The new station is important for western Mass for two reasons —
- Windsor Locks is the station of choice for people living in Agawam and Longmeadow, since driving north (to Springfield) to catch a train headed south doesn’t make much sense, and
- This new station will be the transfer point for a new dedicated shuttle bus connection between the Hartford Line and Bradley Airport.
CTDOT will hold a public information meeting on Thur. September 19, 2019 from 6 pm until 8 pm at the Windsor Locks Town Hall, 50 Church Street, Windsor Locks, CT.
Its interesting to note that the Bradley Airport Authority has plans in the works to connect the airport to the new station in Windsor Locks by light rail line at some point in the future.
A study (linked below) was completed in 2016 and the airport is maintaining a protected right of way on their property for use in the future.
No funding has been identified yet for construction of the light rail line between the airport and the new Windsor Locks station, but one could imagine that it will be built at some stage.
Further reading
“DOT requesting $65M from Bond Commission for new Windsor Locks train station”
By Anthony Branciforte | Journal Inquirer | August 6, 2019
Hartford Line TOD Action Plan – Town of Windsor Locks (PDF)
October 20, 2016
Bradley Light Rail Feasibility Study (PDF)
March 2016
Extending the Vermonter to Montreal… Still Waiting
The original image was created by Wikimedia Commons user Jeangagnon
On August 15, 2019 the Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, announced that U.S. and Canada have brought into force the Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air (LRMA) Transport Preclearance between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada.
Bringing into force this agreement enables Canada and the U.S. to expand preclearance for travellers at land, rail and marine facilities in both countries, and in particular at Central Station in Montreal.
The next step is for the Ministère des Transports du Québec, the Government of Canada, and the owners of Montreal Central Station to develop a site plan and operation agreement for the long planned pre-clearance facility in the station.
In all likelihood nothing will happen until after the Federal election in Canada on October 21, 2019.
Lets hope that soon after the Federal elections that the parties involved will sit down and hammer out a plan to get the pre-clearance facility built so that the Vermonter can finally, after more than a decade of effort, be extended to Montreal.
When will the Vermonter by extended to Montreal you might ask? The best case scenario at this stage would be seem to be some time in 2021.
Further reading
Vermonter Extension to Montreal | Trains In The Valley
“Preclearance issues extend wait for rail service to Montreal”
By Alexandre Silberman | VTDigger.com | August 15, 2019
Birnie Road Crossing Update
Work continues at railroad crossing at Birnie Road in Longmeadow.
Longmeadow, Ma. | August 15, 2019
Amtrak has completed the installation of new active warning devices (lights, gates and bells) as can be seen in the image above.
Before the crossing can be reopened Amtrak forces must return to the site to reinstall the road surface across the tracks.
See also
Railroad Crossings of Note | Trains In The Valley
Western MA Transportation Forum Planned
A meeting has been planned to bring people together from across Western Mass to talk about the transportation issues that exist across the region.
The goal is to create out-of-the-box solutions to solve some of the problems that exist today.
It is also hoped that this forum creates a coalition among multiple sectors in the four western Mass counties to share best practices and bring a strong united voice to Boston to advocate for needed funding and support for transportation initiatives.
The idea for this forum came from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which is working in all areas related to food insecurity — with access to transportation being an important one.
Tentative Schedule
9:00-9:30
Registration, breakfast, networking
9:30- 9:45
Opening remarks / Welcome
9:45-10:00
Keynote speaker – Eric Lesser
10:00-11:00
Lightning Rounds – 4-5-minute presentations. Two rounds of four presentations each, with time for questions after each round:
· Innovative/creative solutions in the four counties (i.e., Hilltown Easy Ride)
· Funding – how do we create an equitable transportation system
11:00-11:10
Break
11:10-11:40
Break into roundtables to brainstorm ideas
11:40-12:00
Report Out from each table
Trains In The Valley’s Work Featured
Carol Lollis/Daily Hampshire Gazette
“Getting more aboard: How Trains in the Valley is helping to boost local rail”
By Sarah Buttenwieser | Daily Hampshire Gazette | August 16, 2019
Great news! Trains In The Valley was featured in last Friday’s Hampshire Life section of the Daily Hampshire Gazette!
A lot has happened since we started the group back in the spring of 2016 for sure.
Many thanks to Mayor David Narkewicz, Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, and Tim Brennan of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission for their contributions to this article.
We’ll continue advocating for continued rail progress here in the Pioneer Valley and we hope you will too!