Amtrak Vermonter / Montrealer

A lot of college students buy tickets months in advance to get good prices. Now is the time they are starting to look at pricing for returning for Spring 2015 term. Amtrak not having a plan to offer service has to be hurting revenue.

Vermonter tickets are available for Spring 2015, just not for the stations yet to be built. Better to hold off selling tickets until sure that the service will be running through and stopping at the station. Students can book from Springfield and plan to take a bus. If the train starts as planned, buy a fill in ticket from Northampton (or Holyoke or Greenfield) to Springfield or modify the reservation, whichever is more cost effective.

Vermonter tickets are available for Spring 2015, just not for the stations yet to be built. Better to hold off selling tickets until sure that the service will be running through and stopping at the station. Students can book from Springfield and plan to take a bus. If the train starts as planned, buy a fill in ticket from Northampton (or Holyoke or Greenfield) to Springfield or modify the reservation, whichever is more cost effective.

I disagree. Ease of transfer and a 1 seat ride are huge factors for many people. Amtrak should continue to sell tickets to Amherst or create a place holder station like "Amherst Area" that would allow them to sell tickets.

Right now I fear they are loosing revenue.

If Northampton isn't finished in time for at least the start of the spring semester there should be a shuttle provided from Springfield until the temporary platform opens. I sure hope any students traveling home for the Christmas/New Years break know that 1) Amherst will no longer have rail service and 2) that a transfer to a bus @ SPG might be necessary when they return.

Keep your eyes open for a Amtrak passenger extra to Deerfield from ALB (via NYP & NHV) Wednesday afternoon.

Sprinter611 wrote:Keep your eyes open for a Amtrak passenger extra to Deerfield from ALB (via NYP & NHV) Wednesday afternoon.

Can one assume that this means that all of the major track work on the Conn River Line is done now?

I wonder why the train is taking this route rather than simply traveling from Albany to Springfield. Could be, I guess, that they need to pickup car 10001 Beech Grove en route since Amtrak probably want to inspect/check the tracks before crews start qualifying on the line.

ST 100,Pacific Cape,Beech Grove,and American View,with 822 as power at Albany,for an Inspection extra
reportly running tomorrow to see whats been finished,reported routing via East Deerfield to Springfield.
(per reports by train2009& MEC407)Timeline unknown.

I had heard it would go up the Springfield line following 56 - however that was the plan a week ago and is of course subject to change.

Aaaand you may want to hold off on running after the OCS - CSOR apparently derailed around Hartford which is affecting the Springfield line.

Backshophoss wrote:ST 100,Pacific Cape,Beech Grove,and American View,with 822 as power at Albany,for an Inspection extra
reportly running tomorrow to see whats been finished,reported routing via East Deerfield to Springfield.
(per reports by train2009& MEC407)Timeline unknown.

That line up is correct. Was spotted at Albany this morning at the station ready to go

via Pokeepsie, Harmon, Mott Haven wye, woodlawn, to New Haven and up the springfield line ?? if derailment at Hartford is cleared up ?

MN times- Poughkeepsie: 10:40, Harmon- 11:25, CP 6- 12:00, CP 106- 12:05, CP 112 - 12:13, Stamford- 12:35 & New Haven- 13:30.

Someone elsewhere said Springfield is clear.

Service resumed just after 10 this morning:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinio ... derailment" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Amtrak office car special passed through Northampton at approximately 4:45 p.m. today.

From what I could see there were very few people on this train. I could see one person in the Pan Am office car and a few people "behind the glass wall" at the end of Beach Grove.

The caption in this YouTube video of the train departing New Haven suggests that it was carrying Amtrak President Joseph Boardman and a group of Pan Am executives:
http://youtu.be/sb-D1YRm038

This video shows the train passing though Northampton on the existing Conn River Main line:
http://youtu.be/rqvkZWACqWw

And this one has it passing through Enfield CT, Springfield MA and Holyoke MA:
http://youtu.be/erCg-eh-McA

On a side note, I was sort of surprised how many people were driving around looking for this train. From my location in Easthampton I observed 6 other people.


Here are two images. Sorry for the low quality, but the shots were taken 15 minutes after sunset.
.
.

Ben,

You might have caught something even more significant than you first realized. I'm pretty sure that's the first time ever that Maine Central livery and Amtrak have been in the same shot.

Nice catch!

Great stuff, brings back a lot of memories of the Conn River of the past. I think this is one of the best things to happen in railroading in New England in a long time. THANK YOU for making this available.
Noel Weaver