A seasonal pilot passenger rail service was announced by Amtrak in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).
The rail service will operate this year and in 2023 as the Berkshire Flyer, with a route between New York City and Pittsfield, Mass.
The service will be initiated on July 8 and will operate on weekends through the summer months with a similar schedule next year. The Berkshire Flyer will include a Friday afternoon departure from New York City’s Penn Station to Pittsfield via Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y. A return trip will be provided on Sunday afternoons. Each train will make several station stops.
“We are pleased to work together with our partner agencies to run passenger train service between Pittsfield and New York City on weekends during the busiest tourist times this summer,” said Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. “Western Massachusetts and the Berkshire Region offer a whole host of cultural and recreational opportunities during the summer, and we hope this pilot service will encourage even more visitors to this part of our state.”
Amtrak President and CEO Stephen Gardner added, “Amtrak is excited to be able to provide this long-awaited service for our partners at MassDOT and NYSDOT. We’re appreciative of the support and cooperation of CSX for the Berkshire Flyer service, which will offer a more comfortable and convenient transportation option that’s also more environmentally friendly for people traveling between New York City and Berkshire County, along with easy access to musical performances at Tanglewood.”
The Berkshire Flyer pilot’s success will be evaluated to further understand the feasibility and demand of the service before continuing the service, deciding on its schedule if it is to continue and identifying specific infrastructure improvements or service changes that may be necessary.
The Berkshire Flyer will depart from New York Penn Station at 3:16 p.m. on Fridays and arrive at Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center, 1 Columbus Ave, Pittsfield at 7:12 p.m. The train will make all the intermediate station stops as the typical Amtrak Empire Service train does on Fridays, which include Yonkers, N.Y., Croton-Harmon, N.Y., Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Rhinecliff, N.Y., Hudson, N.Y., and Albany-Rensselaer Station. The Sunday return trip, making all the same station stops, will depart Pittsfield at 3:00 p.m. and arrive in New York at 7:05 p.m.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez added, “Riding the rails is a great way to experience all the beauty and natural splendor that New York State and the entire Northeast Region has to offer, and we are proud to partner with our colleagues at Amtrak and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on this exciting service. Under [New York] Gov. Kathy Hochul’s leadership, New York State is committed to creating a 21st century transportation system that brings people together and creates economic opportunities for all and this new service is another step forward toward achieving that goal.”
Efforts to evaluate passenger rail service between the Berkshires and New York have been ongoing since 2018, during which time pilot service has operated and conversations about the service have involved Berkshire County groups, municipal officials and elected leaders. Amtrak, MassDOT and NYSDOT have collaborated with CSX Transportation to prepare for the service’s start up this year after an agreement was reached with CSX to utilize its tracks.
Berkshire Flyer customers can expect the same amenities onboard as they do on all other Amtrak trains, including free Wi-Fi, the freedom to use phones and electronic devices at all times, the ability to travel with small pets on many trains, large spacious seats with ample leg room, no middle seat and a generous baggage policy, applicable for two personal items and two carry-on bags.
Tickets are not yet available but will be sold beginning in May and can be available for purchase on Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app, Amtrak ticket desks and kiosks and through 1-800-USA-RAIL.
