Amtrak’s Vermonter returned to the Pioneer Valley yesterday after a hiatus of sixteen months.

This milestone was marked in Northampton with a celebration that was organized by Trains In The Valley to welcome the train back to the region. Similar celebrations were hosted at all of the stations along the rail line in Vermont.

The train was late arriving into Northampton because of the extraordinary ridership that was generated by the $1 fare promotion that was offered for travel between stations in Vermont yesterday.

Those that waited for the train to arrive we’re serenaded for over an hour by the Expandable Brass Band.

Just prior to the train’s arrival Mayor David Narkewicz declared July 19, 2021 as “Amtrak Vermonter Train Day” by reading this proclamation:

The train finally showed up at about 3:15 pm

Many more photos from the event can be found on this link:

Images of the Vermonter’s Return to Northampton
By Don Teeger | The Republican | July 19, 2021

The day’s events were nicely captured on this video:

Further reading

“She’s back! Valley residents celebrate return of the Vermonter”
By Brian Steele | Daily Hampshire Gazette | July 20, 2021

“Vermonter Return Greeted at Pioneer Valley Stops”
By Don Teeger | The Republican | July 20, 2021

“An emotional welcome back: What it was like on the first day of train service in Vermont since March 2020”
By Jacob Harrison | The Points Guy | July 20, 2021

“Amtrak returns to Vermont after a 16-month pandemic absence”
By By Kevin O’Connor, Emma Cotton and Shaun Robinson | VTDigger | July 19, 2021

And for those of you looking for a video of the train’s journey through Vermont we suggest this masterful piece by Josh Farber.

For further information on the Vermonter visit Trains In The Valley’s Vermonter page.

To book tickets on the Vermonter visit Amtrak.com