Amtrak station in Kent CT?

[CPSK]

Hi;
Was there ever an Amtrak station in Kent CT? I see on Google Earth that there is a station building, but it does not appear that Amtrak has service to that station. Metro North terminates in Danbury. Is there any Amtrak service past Kent?
I was curious, because I am planning a section hike on the Appalachian Trail that will end near Kent CT, and at first I thought Amtrak did service that city. Looks like I will be going to Wingdale to get MNCR instead, but will be trekking north on the AT in sections, and finding train stations to start and end my trip is important to me. Also, as a railfan, I am interested in current and past train service.

CP

[njtmnrrbuff]

Amtrak never served Kent. The station in Kent is the old New Haven RR one that served trains that ran to Pittsfield. Currently, the right of way is still there and is used by Housatonic freight trains. As far as taking Metro North goes, as the crow flies, the closest stop is Dover Plains. However, there aren't any direct roads there according to google maps, so the closest stop is Tenmile River. The Applachian Trail stop is served by very few trains.

[rohr turbo]

Amtrak never served the Berkshire Line. Penn Central had the last passenger service on it which terminated the day Amtrak started, May 1, 1971.

Actually Amtrak did have one special train on the north end of the line for Good Morning America around 2008, but I don't think it got as far south as Kent.

Pretty station in Kent though. Mr. Norman probably has fond memories. And there are hopes of reviving service on the line though many here are scornful of the effort.

[Gilbert B Norman]

The answer to Mr. Turbo's immediate is of course I do of the "oh-so New England" Kent station. When I was last up that way for my "50th" at South Kent School, I noted the structure is carefully preserved, but alas, for non transportation use. At this time, I'm planning a journey for my "55th" next year, but I doubt if I can hop off anybody's train at Woodrow and hoof it up Spooner Hill just as I did during the '50-'60's.

Evidently the School would not allow the Googlemobile on to the campus.

[runningwithscalpels]

there are hopes of reviving service on the line though many here are scornful of the effort.

I attended a meeting a year or two ago in Falls Village (a bit north of Kent) pertaining to the revival of passenger service along the route and some selectman from Kent said something along the lines of: "People in my town will just drive into New York to take the train anyway...so we could care less if passenger service is restored." Additionally, he and others seemed more interested in making sure the trains crawl through town and noise pollution than any actual benefits that could be reaped. People can call for passenger service to Pittsfield all they want, there will be massive pushback from the locals (and weekenders) not wanting their idyllic country peace disrupted for "fast" and noisy trains. It's a farfetched scheme at best.

I think the scorn around here for attempted revival along the Berkshire Line is directed at the local freight carrier expressing interest in running the service when they can't even keep freights on the tracks nor maintain their ROW moreso than scorn for the service itself.

[Greg Moore]

Huh, missed that meeting (that's my hometown).

Part of the argument has been, "we'll just drive to NY" but I suspect the further north you go the more folks would prefer to stay in CT.

That said, I actually suspect it's the weekenders that would most make use of restored service with a Friday and Sunday train.

Taht said, yes, the Housatonic Railroad's dreams are pure fantasy.

Going back to Amtrak, personally, in my dream world, Amtrak would run a train or two in each direction that either terminated in Pittsfield (and ideally at a time that it could hook up with the LSL) or continue back towards Albany. I think there's more demand than some suspect, but less than would make this worthwhile.

But perhaps Amtrak connecting bus service might work on this route someday.

(btw, I grew up in the Falls Village depot, my family owned it from 1972 until about 2002).

[DutchRailnut]

Metro North ran a bus from Wassaic to Great Barrington for few seasons, it was a bust, lucky if they had few passengers for each trip.
Rebuilding Berkshire line would be money loosing endeavor, other than for the HRRC for them it would be free track upgrade and PTC without a dime of their money.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Best hope to see an Amtrak train in Kent is lobby for a Fall Excursion along the Berkshire. Evidently Amtrak can access freight only trackage for these excursions.

[DutchRailnut]

anything can still be done, till PTC rules take effect and then that is over too.
Currently HRRC has no passenger or hazmat, so they are exempt, it will however hinder future operation if such items materialized.

[NH2060]

Even if Kent had been an Amtrak stop early on I doubt it would have lasted long since NYC-Pittsfield didn't exactly qualify as "intercity", much like NYC-Brewster-Chatham, which of course saw its last passenger train cut north of Dover Plains almost a year later.

OTOH I suppose those living along the Upper Harlem could have flocked to it once their train got axed and kept ridership robust enough on the Berkshire to keep it going even as a 2 or 3 car shuttle.

And as long as Kent doesn't want rail service (unless they approve of frequent, reliable commuter service to SW CT/NYC) there won't be any so we can close the file on that.

[TomNelligan]

As a point of history, during the final days of passenger service on the NH Berkshire Line, up until Amtrak Day as noted above, the trains were a weekend-only service and thus not particularly suitable for commuters. A single RDC connected with a GCT train at Danbury, running north on Friday evening, making a round trip on Saturday, and running south on Sunday. That one car was sufficient for what was left of patronage by 1971. Chatham-Brewster-GCT at the end was NYC commuter coaches behind an RS3 on a commuter schedule weekdays, a vacationer schedule on weekends.

[DutchRailnut]

A best ever schedule from Kent would be in excess of 3 1/2 hour ride to NYC, a car ride to Harlem line would get you to NY in a little over two hours (including the car ride)

[rohr turbo]

A best ever schedule from Kent would be in excess of 3 1/2 hour ride to NYC, a car ride to Harlem line would get you to NY in a little over two hours (including the car ride)

about 2.5 hours Kent-GCT in 1951

[Dick H]

Some history and photo (1997) Kent CT station.
http://www.trainweb.org/rshs/GRS%20-%20Kent,%20CT.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CPSK]

It was Google that led me to believe that Amtrak once served Kent CT. It seems that when you Google anything, it spits your words back at you like an ad. I could Google "dog poop on the lawn", and it would spit back "buy dog poop on the lawn on Google". Anyway, I do plan to take Uber from the trail on CT 55 to Wingdale, which seems to be the best place to get a train back to NYC. Fortunately, Uber is allowed to pick up fares in CT and drop off in NY, but not the other way around. So, when I begin another AT section hike from that point, I am probably going to need a local taxi service out of Wingdale.
I do suppose that hiking from Manitou to the AT station in Pawling would be a better option, but there is the problem with service to both of those stops; it's weekend only of course, and I do not expect it to take me a week to get from Manitou to Pawling, and I couldn't do it in a single day. There are other options, but eventually, as I get farther away from NYC, I won't have the commuter trains to rely on, and will have to plan longer hikes between Amtrak stations, or take a combination of taxi/bus/train.

So far as the trains go; I pine for the 'good ol' days' of railroading, although I'm not old enough to remember them myself. I can't understand how people prefer sitting in their automobiles stuck in traffic to sitting comfortably on a moving train - even if a transfer is necessary. I prefer trains over automobile and buses. I could get a bus from NYC to Bear Mountain, but I prefer the train. The ride is about the same time, but whenever there is a choice I will take the train - so long as it doesn't take me out of my way.

I am annoyed by people who complain about the noise and pollution from trains in their towns, but say nothing about those blasted leaf blowers that are so ubiquitous, and are far worse polluters than diesel trains.