The Vermont city of Burlington is getting a new train next month, and it’s the first time passenger rail service will return to the city in nearly 70 years. By Alison Fox
The new Amtrak Ethan Allen Express train will launch with service to the Vermont cities of Burlington, Vergennes, and Middlebury on July 29, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. It also marks the first time a regularly scheduled passenger rail will serve the state’s largest city since 1953, the Associated Press reported.
The Amtrak train will directly travel to NYC
“Very soon, we will be able to climb aboard a train in downtown Burlington and arrive in New York City in time for dinner,” Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said in a statement. “This long-desired service will give a boost to our economic recovery at a critical time, and give travellers a new, lower-carbon connection to New York and the rest of the Amtrak system.”
The new line will depart Burlington each day at 10:10 a.m and arrive at New York City’s Penn Station at 5:45 p.m. The northbound service will leave Penn Station at 2:21 p.m. each day and arrive in Burlington at 9:55 p.m.
“This new service will benefit Vermonters in countless ways, all while helping to grow our economy,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement, adding the new rail service wouldn’t have happened without several agencies involved as well as “the willingness of communities along the way.”
Fares for the new route between Burlington and New York City will start at USD 75 (INR 5870), the AP noted.
“This is not Amtrak’s only new route”
This is not Amtrak’s only new route this summer. The company also plans to launch a Berkshire Flyer service between New York City and Pittsfield, Mass., on July 8. That new route will operate on weekends throughout the summer with a similar schedule planned for next year.
And beyond Amtrak, a new high-speed rail line between North Carolina and Virginia is in the works, being funded as part of a federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant.
(This story first appeared on www.travelandleisure.com)
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