Welcome Back the Vermonter - Northampton MA
Event Information
About this event
Trains In The Valley will be hosting an informal celebration at the station platform (170 Pleasant St) on Monday, July 19, 2021 to welcome Amtrak's Vermonter back to Northampton.
Join supporters of passenger rail service, elected officials, the media, and others as we celebrate the return of the Vermonter to our region.
This will be the first run of the Vermonter since March 2020, when the service was suspended back in the early days of the Covid pandemic.
Current schedule
11:30 AM — The Deck @ Union Station opens for lunch. Come and enjoy lunch at the Deck while waiting for the train to arrive.
1:30 PM — Approximate start of the event at the platform
1:45 pm — The countdown begins, with music provided by the Expandable Brass Band!
2:01 PM — Scheduled departure time of Amtrak Train 55, the southbound Vermonter (see note below)
Lemonade and cookies will be provided. (If anyone would like to bring a plate of cookies that would be wonderful!)
Note that this train is a scheduled service. It will pull in to the station and then depart just as soon as arriving passengers have stepped off the train and departing passengers have boarded. So if you're taking pictures don't wait too long, otherwise the train may be gone before you know it.
Tickets are not required but registration helps us to plan accordingly and to keep in touch. On Monday we will share the link for tracking the train to those who register.
Amtrak’s Vermonter service operates daily between Washington, DC, and St. Albans, VT, with service to Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, White River Junction and other intermediate stops.
Further information about the Vermonter can be found on this link: trainsinthevalley.org/vermonter/
Special Note
Most of the stations north of us are planning similar events on July 19th. These events, and an anticipated sold out train in Vermont, will mean that the train will arrive a late in Northampton.
You can track the train status using this link if you wish: asm.transitdocs.com/train/2021/07/19/55 (note that the link will not become active until the train departs St. Albans VT station on the morning of July 19th)
We will share this link on our Facebook page on Monday morning after the train departs St. Albans VT.
Organizer Trains In The Valley
Organizer of Welcome Back the Vermonter - Northampton MA
Train In The Valley was founded in 2016 as a local advocate for improved and expanded passenger and freight rail service in the Pioneer Valley region of western Massachusetts.
We are volunteers who do this because we believe that rail transport, both passenger and freight, can be a viable option for our region. We come from different backgrounds and understand how deeply transportation impacts our lives and our communities.
Our goals are:
- To ensure that the existing passenger and freight rail services in the region continue
- To promote and expand the use of the existing intercity passenger service (Amtrak’s “Vermonter”) for travel to/from Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield
- To advocate for the establishment of new regional passenger service between New Haven / Hartford / Springfield and the Pioneer Valley
- To advocate for improved and expanded integration of local and regional transportation options that connect with the region’s passenger rail network
- To increase the number of freight rail customers connected to the region’s rail network and to increase the volume and type of material transported by rail in region
We seek to encourage cooperation and coordinated action among all parties, including elected officials, governmental agencies, railroads, railroad unions, regional planning groups, other transportation operators, current and future rail users, and the public.
For further information please visit our website: trainsinthevalley.org
Or our Facebook page: facebook.com/trainsinthevalley
