Berkshire Flyer: Difference between revisions
QuincyMorgan (talk | contribs) m Typo |
Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
||
Line 69: | Line 69: | ||
== Stations == |
== Stations == |
||
{| class="wikitable |
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
||
!State |
|||
!Location |
|||
![[Railway milepost|Mile (km)]] |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|[[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]] |
|||
! Address |
|||
|{{convert|190|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
! colspan="3"| Location |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| 1 Columbus Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
|||
|{{convert|141|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
|{{amtk|Albany–Rensselaer}} |
|||
| [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire County]] |
|||
⚫ | |||
| bgcolor = #f8f8f8| [[Massachusetts]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{amtk|Albany-Rensselaer}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|{{convert|114|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
| 525 East Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| [[Rensselaer County, New York|Rensselaer County]] |
|||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|{{convert|100|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
| 69 South Front Street, Hudson, NY 12534 |
|||
|{{amtk|Rhinecliff–Kingston}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| [[Columbia County, New York|Columbia County]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{amtk|Rhinecliff-Kingston}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|{{convert|80|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
| 455 Rhinecliff Road, Rhinecliff, NY 12574 |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak: ''Adirondack'', ''Empire Service'', ''Ethan Allen Express'', ''Maple Leaf''<br />{{rint|newyork|mnr}} [[Metro-North Railroad]]: {{rcb|Metro-North Railroad|Hudson|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Dutchess County Public Transit|DCPT]]: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie RailLink; [[Ulster County Area Transit|UCAT]]: Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK |
||
| rowspan="2" |[[Dutchess County, New York|Dutchess County]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | | {{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak: ''Adirondack'', ''Empire Service'', ''Ethan Allen Express'', ''Maple Leaf''<br />{{rint|newyork|mnr}} [[Metro-North Railroad]]: {{rcb|Metro-North Railroad|Hudson|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Dutchess County Public Transit|DCPT]]: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie RailLink; [[Ulster County Area Transit|UCAT]]: Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK |
||
|{{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
| 41 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 |
|||
|{{amtk|Croton–Harmon}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|{{convert|18|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
| 1 Croton Point Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| rowspan="2"| [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{amtk|Yonkers}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|{{convert|0|mi|km|abbr=values}} |
|||
| 5 Buena Vista Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701 |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak (long-distance): {{lnl|Amtrak|Adirondack}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Cardinal}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Pennsylvanian}}, ''[[Silver Meteor]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Star}}<br />{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak (intercity): {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, ''Empire Service'', ''Ethan Allen Express'', ''[[Keystone Service]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Maple Leaf}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br />{{rint|newyork|lirr}} [[Long Island Rail Road|LIRR]]: {{rcb|LIRR|City Terminal Zone|inline=square}}, {{rcb|LIRR|Port Washington|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]]: {{rcb|NJ Transit|North Jersey Coast|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Northeast Corridor|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Gladstone|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Montclair-Boonton|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Morristown|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|newyork|subway}} [[New York City Subway|NYC Subway]]: {{NYCS Broadway-Seventh|time=bullets}}{{NYCS Eighth south|time=bullets}}<br />{{rint|path}} [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]]: {{rcb|PATH|HOB-33|inline=route}} {{rcb|PATH|JSQ-33|inline=route}} {{rcb|PATH|JSQ-33 (via HOB)|inline=route}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[MTA Regional Bus Operations|NYC Transit buses]]: {{NYC bus link|M7|M20|M34 SBS|M34A SBS|Q32|SIM23|SIM24}} |
||
|- |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | | {{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak (long-distance): {{lnl|Amtrak|Adirondack}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Cardinal}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Pennsylvanian}}, ''[[Silver Meteor]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Star}}<br />{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak (intercity): {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, ''Empire Service'', ''Ethan Allen Express'', ''[[Keystone Service]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Maple Leaf}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br />{{rint|newyork|lirr}} [[Long Island Rail Road|LIRR]]: {{rcb|LIRR|City Terminal Zone|inline=square}}, {{rcb|LIRR|Port Washington|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]]: {{rcb|NJ Transit|North Jersey Coast|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Northeast Corridor|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Gladstone|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Montclair-Boonton|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Morristown|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|newyork|subway}} [[New York City Subway|NYC Subway]]: {{NYCS Broadway-Seventh|time=bullets}}{{NYCS Eighth south|time=bullets}}<br />{{rint|path}} [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]]: {{rcb|PATH|HOB-33|inline=route}} {{rcb|PATH|JSQ-33|inline=route}} {{rcb|PATH|JSQ-33 (via HOB)|inline=route}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[MTA Regional Bus Operations|NYC Transit buses]]: {{NYC bus link|M7|M20|M34 SBS|M34A SBS|Q32|SIM23|SIM24}} |
||
| 350 West 33rd Street, New York City, NY 10001 |
|||
⚫ | |||
| [[The Bronx|Bronx County]], [[Brooklyn|Kings County]], [[Manhattan|New York County]], [[Queens|Queens County]] & [[Staten Island|Richmond County]] |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
Revision as of 22:27, 17 January 2023
Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the route's northern end | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Service type | Inter-city rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Pilot, seasonal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Hudson Valley and Berkshires | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First service | July 8, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current operator(s) | Amtrak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | amtrak.com/berkshire-flyer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Route | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini | New York City, New York Pittsfield, Massachusetts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance travelled | 190 miles (306 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Average journey time | 4 hours | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service frequency | One trip northbound on Friday, one trip southbound on Sunday | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Train number(s) | 1235, 1244 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On-board services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Catering facilities | Amfleet Cafe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rolling stock | Amfleet Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track owner(s) | MNRR, Amtrak, CSXT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Berkshire Flyer is a seasonal Amtrak passenger train service between New York City and the Berkshire Mountains in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, via the Hudson Valley. The weekly train departs Penn Station on Friday afternoons during the summer and returns on Sundays. The route's inaugural season ran from July 8 to September 5, 2022, as part of a pilot program set to run through summer 2023.
History
In 2014, Massachusetts proposed moving ahead with plans for commuter rail service between the Berkshires and New York City.[1][2] Eight round trips per day would have followed the Housatonic Railroad from Pittsfield through Connecticut to Southeast, New York, where they would have taken the Harlem Line to Grand Central Terminal.[3][4] Four stops were proposed in Berkshire County: Pittsfield, Lee, Great Barrington, and Sheffield.[5] The commuter rail project failed to progress due to disinterest from the administration of Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy.[6]
In 2017, the Massachusetts legislature began new efforts toward a summer tourist train, not commuter rail, between New York City and the Berkshires. Eddie Sporn, a Berkshire-based consultant, was researching the topic of restoring passenger rail service and sent an outline of plans to State Senator Adam Hinds.[7] The plan for the "Berkshire Flyer" was modeled on the CapeFLYER, a popular seasonal train between Boston and Cape Cod. The proposal routed the train on the Empire Corridor through New York State rather than Connecticut. In September the legislature empaneled a working group consisting of MassDOT representatives, government officials, business leaders, and involved citizens to work on the project.[6]
MassDOT released a Berkshire Flyer feasibility study in March 2018 in which three alternatives were studied. The first option (which was ultimately selected) was to extend an Empire Service round trip from Albany–Rensselaer to Pittsfield. The second option would have added a new limited-stop express train on this route, saving 10 to 12 minutes. The third would have added a new train that skipped Albany–Rensselaer by traversing the Schodack Subdivision, cutting 18 miles (29 km) and saving 20 minutes. NYSDOT stated it would not support a service that did not stop at all Empire Corridor stations. The report also raised the possibility of a new Amtrak station in Chatham, New York, but this was not evaluated due to its large capital costs.[8]
In May 2018, the Massachusetts Senate approved funds for a two-year pilot of the Berkshire Flyer. The service would be a seasonal extension of a weekend Empire Service round trip to Pittsfield.[9][10][11] The trial was scheduled to begin in June 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and outstanding questions around the program's legal sponsorship.[12] The pilot was rescheduled for summers 2022 and 2023. In April 2022, Amtrak announced that the first trip would depart on July 8.[13] Tickets went up for sale on May 25, starting at $45 one way.[14][15]
Service began as announced on July 8, 2022, with train 1235 departing on-time from Penn Station. Several local and state officials were aboard the first train, while others greeted it in Pittsfield.[16][17] The season ended with a southbound trip on September 5, running on Labor Day instead of Sunday.[18] Feedback on the route was positive, though many passengers desired the option to spend more time in Pittsfield, saying the limited schedule was inconvenient. Supporters hope the schedule can be expanded for the 2023 season.[19]
Service
As scheduled, the Berkshire Flyer departs New York Penn Station on Fridays at 3:16 PM and arrives at Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield at 7:12 PM. The reverse trip is made Sundays, departing Pittsfield at 3:00 PM and arriving at Penn Station at 7:05 PM. Intermediate stops are made in both directions at Yonkers, Croton–Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, and Albany–Rensselaer, the same stops as a typical Empire Service train.[20] In Pittsfield, passengers are welcomed by "ambassadors" who provide information and assist in wayfinding.[21][18]
Route details
The Berkshire Flyer operates over CSX Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak trackage:
- CSX Berkshire Subdivision: Pittsfield to Schodack, New York
- Amtrak Post Road Branch: Schodack to Rensselaer
- CSX Hudson Subdivision: Rensselaer to Poughkeepsie (leased to Amtrak)
- Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line: Poughkeepsie to Spuyten Duyvil
- Amtrak Empire Connection: Spuyten Duyvil to New York Penn Station
Though the Berkshire Flyer is the first and only Amtrak train to offer a direct ride between New York City and Pittsfield without layovers, all sections of the route are served by other Amtrak trains. The line between New York City and Rensselaer is part of Amtrak's Empire Corridor, while service between Rensselaer and Pittsfield is provided by the Lake Shore Limited.
Stations
Station | Connections | Address | Location | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center | 1 Columbus Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201 | Pittsfield | Berkshire County | Massachusetts | |
Albany-Rensselaer | 525 East Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144 | Rensselaer | Rensselaer County | New York | |
Hudson | 69 South Front Street, Hudson, NY 12534 | Hudson | Columbia County | ||
Rhinecliff-Kingston | 455 Rhinecliff Road, Rhinecliff, NY 12574 | Rhinecliff | Dutchess County | ||
Poughkeepsie | 41 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | Poughkeepsie | |||
Croton-Harmon | 1 Croton Point Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 | Croton-on-Hudson | Westchester County | ||
Yonkers | 5 Buena Vista Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701 | Yonkers | |||
New York Penn Station | 350 West 33rd Street, New York City, NY 10001 | New York City | Bronx County, Kings County, New York County, Queens County & Richmond County |
References
- ^ Scribner, David (18 July 2014). "State to buy Berkshire rail line; first step in restoring passenger service". The Berkshire Edge. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ Scribner, David (25 July 2014). "State to move ahead with funding for rail commuter service to NYC". The Berkshire Edge. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ Scribner, David. "Study backs restoring trains to Berkshires". Hill Country Observer. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ Sheppard, Stephen. "Economic Benefits of Housatonic Railroad Passenger Service" (PDF). Center for Creative Community Development. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "Berkshire Passenger Rail Station Location & Design Analysis" (PDF). Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. August 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ a b Cowgill, Terry (27 September 2017). "Panel reimagines passenger rail service -- once again -- between New York and the Berkshires". The Berkshire Edge. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ Cowgill, Terry (2017-09-27). "Panel reimagines passenger rail service -- once again -- between New York and the Berkshires". The Berkshire Edge. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ^ "Berkshire Flyer: Pittsfield to New York City Feasibility Study". MassDOT Transit & Rail Division. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ "News Briefs: Mass. Senate approves funding for opioid prevention services; Mass. Senate provides funding for Berkshire FLYER; Mass. Senate to review small bridge repair regulations". Berkshire Edge. May 30, 2018.
- ^ Vaccaro, Adam (March 27, 2018). "A Berkshires-NYC train service could relaunch by 2019". Boston Globe.
- ^ Bellow, Heather (March 1, 2019). "Berkshire Flyer group 'ready to take the leap' from vision to reality". Berkshire Eagle.
- ^ Parnass, Larry (29 May 2020). "Debut of Berkshire Flyer service to NYC delayed by legal questions". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Berkshire Flyer Passenger Train Service Begins July 8" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Amtrak Travelers Can Now Buy Tickets for Berkshire Flyer Service Between Pittsfield and New York City". Amtrak Media. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ "Tickets on sale for Berkshire Flyer service between Pittsfield and NYC". spectrumnews1.com. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ Britton-Mehlisch, Meg (8 July 2022). "'Sold out' Berkshire Flyer train is rolling towards Pittsfield, after on-time departure from New York City". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ Britton-Mehlisch, Meg (8 July 2022). "Five years in the making, Berkshire Flyer's inaugural run from New York City to Pittsfield a 'sold out' success". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Berkshire Flyer Train From NY To Pittsfield and the Berkshires". Berkshire Flyer Pittsfield. City of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Our Opinion: Seeing some sustained ridership on Berkshire Flyer is valuable. So are the travelers' insights". The Berkshire Eagle. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Berkshire Flyer Passenger Train Service Begins July 8". Amtrak Media. 26 April 2022.
- ^ McGrath, Ben (29 August 2022). "All Aboard the Berkshire Flyer!". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
External links
- The Berkshire Flyer | 1Berkshires
- Berkshire Flyer – Amtrak