Prospects for a second Amtrak train calling in Brattleboro look slightly better than in past years in light of the upcoming state rail plan, published in draft form in June.
The document lists, as a "recommended initiative," the northward extension of Amtrak's Valley Flyer train from its current northern terminus in Greenfield, Massachusetts, just south of the Vermont border, to either Brattleboro or White River Junction.
The last state rail plan, which the Agency of Transportation (AOT) published in 2021, described an extension to White River as a "potential initiative," and mentioned an extension to Brattleboro only in passing. In that plan, the White River scenario was seen as adding 33,100 riders to the total Vermont patronage of Amtrak by 2040.
The current draft plan, whose final version should be released by early September, recommends both alternatives.
The White River extension is seen as generating 33,000 new riders yearly in Vermont by 2045 and the Brattleboro option 12,000, on the route already followed by the daily Vermonter train on its daily round trip between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans. The latter figure would increase that route's patronage by 16%, the White River option by 41%.
The Valley Flyer service, which consists of two round trips daily, links Greenfield and Springfield in Massachusetts, connecting at Springfield with the rest of Amtrak's national network.
A lack of serviceable equipment - mainly passenger cars - continues to stymie the expansion of Amtrak's reach everywhere. But either the Brattleboro or White River scenario, by simply extending a Valley Flyer train, could be implemented without Amtrak having to cobble together a new set of cars, according to Williston's Carl Fowler, Vermont's most prominent observer of passenger rail matters.
Sources said that Vermont would have to wait until 2030 to receive brand-new cars, part of a large Amtrak equipment order nowin the works.
In an email statement, Dan Delabruere, who heads AOT's Rail Bureau, wrote that the agency "does not currently have a delivery date for this equipment."
The first deployment from that order is reportedly destined for the Pacific Northwest, in 2026. Sources said that Vermont is at the end of the queue of states and individual routes awaiting the new cars.
However, Fowler pointed out that, as the new cars begin deployment, they should displace older Amtrak equipment "that could in turn be used for added trips on the Vermonter route."
In addition to the availability of cars, plans for an extension would also have to consider numerous other issues - cooperation with the route's owner, the New England Central Railroad (NECR); where the train will overnight; strict safety rules on the train crew's hours of service; and routine operating expenses.
Charles Hunter, assistant vice president of Genesee & Wyoming, NECR's parent company, did however tell The Commons that "NECR has the capacity to accommodate another Amtrak train on the route," which currently sees nine freight trains each week, in each direction, as well as the daily Amtrak service.
"The terms and scheduling would have to be negotiated with Amtrak," he added.
He cautioned, however, that none of the needed infrastructure for servicing an Amtrak train exists in either Brattleboro or White River. But Fowler noted that the train would likely be operated "push-pull"; that is, with an engineer's cab at either end. That would at least obviate the need to construct a wye, a triangle of track that allows a train to be turned completely around to face the return direction. It would also require both adequate space and upfront funding.
'Excited' about White River Junction, too
Brattleboro is the third-most-used Amtrak stop in Vermont, slightly behind Essex Junction in total boardings and alightings. White River Junction ranks fourth, barely behind Brattleboro.
Those advocating the extension of the Valley Flyer include Sen. Wendy Harrison, D-Windham, one of two state legislators on the Vermont Rail Advisory Council (VRAC), a committee of freight and passenger rail stakeholders chaired by AOT Secretary Joe Flynn.
"More frequent service, especially service that would allow someone to go to New York City and return home to Vermont in a single day, would benefit Vermonters and encourage people to relocate to our state," Harrison said.
She described the advantages that local residents would reap from the additional service, whether getting on at Brattleboro, White River, or any of the intermediate stations - Windsor, Claremont Junction (N.H.), and Bellows Falls.
In a recent interview, Harrison added that she had "met many people who have decided to live in Brattleboro or Bellows Falls because both of those are walkable and served by the train."
Speaking to a VRAC meeting in May, she noted that nudging a Valley Flyer up as far as Brattleboro "would be achievable with less money" in comparison with an extension to White River Junction. In her recent interview, however, she gave White River Junction equal recognition, describing herself as "excited" about that scenario, too.
"The rail plan draft includes this extension as a possibility. If the schedule is carefully crafted, the extension could improve the schedule for Massachusetts riders as well," she said.
"Having a later morning train would be helpful," she explained. The current morning southbound train starts out from Greenfield at 6:05 a.m., on weekdays, but later on weekends.
No threats from Washington
Both Fowler and Ben Heckscher, co-founder of the Trains in the Valley advocacy organization in Massachusetts, felt that extension of the Flyer should reach all the way to White River.
"If you only go to Brattleboro, you're probably not getting the bang for your buck," Heckscher said. Fowler noted that Brattleboro lies only a 20-minute drive from Greenfield - hardly a major imposition for patrons.
The Vermonter, meanwhile, "is getting to be a busy train," Heckscher commented. Its ridership rose 12.2% from federal fiscal year 2023 to FY 2024.
However much they may depend on any number of factors, including cost, ridership, and the possible need for new cars, the two scenarios clearly fall within the ambit of an effort superintended by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA), and currently in progress at AOT. That multistage, multiyear undertaking, known as corridor identification, is investigating possible expansion of service all along the Vermonter's corridor.
In an email statement, Delabruere wrote that while no formal study will be released, AOT had submitted initial findings on the route's prospects to the FRA, which was reviewing that information.
The question arises of whether the proposal to expand Amtrak's Connecticut Valley service will encounter or succumb to the clawbacks, budget cuts, and reductions in personnel that the second Trump administration has made something of a trademark. But to all appearances, such setbacks are not among the stumbling blocks that the service expansion might face.
Rather, the national Rail Passengers Association reports Amtrak "has so far avoided the proposals for dramatic cuts the White House has outlined for similar quasi-governmental organizations like the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio." U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, in testimony to Congress, has stated that he himself patronizes Amtrak.
Fowler noted that while the newly enacted federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year keeps passenger rail funding essentially flat, the tranche of money going to Amtrak routes that are not part of the Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor will in fact see a modest increase in funding.
"I know of no threats coming out of the administration for Amtrak appropriations," he said, but added, "Trump policy could turn on a dime."
Depots undergo renovations
Whatever the vicissitudes the expansion initiative might undergo, plans for rehabilitation of the 1923 Bellows Falls train depot move forward slowly, while the Brattleboro Amtrak station is further along the road to a new life.
Far from being Amtrak's most elegant station, the latter will look a lot different when the second service materializes - if it materializes. Instead of using the west side of the tracks, passengers will board and alight on the east, river-ward side.
The project, which carries a $10 million price tag, will include a wheelchair lift and a 4-foot-high, 345-foot-long platform that will allow level boarding onto all cars, so as to meet ADA requirements.
Dignitaries broke ground on the project in June 2024, and completion is expected in February 2026.
This News item by C.B. Hall was written for The Commons.