MassDOT, Amtrak Make Permanent Valley Flyer Service

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Amtrak are making the seven-days-a-week “Valley Flyer” passenger rail service linking Western Massachusetts, central Connecticut, and New York City a permanent part of Amtrak’s network.

[Above photo by MassDOT]

MassDOT initially pilot-tested its “Valley Flyer” passenger rail service in August 2019. The agency reduced that service during the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming the full schedule in July 2021. The Valley Flyer offers two round-trip trains on weekdays and one round-trip train on Saturdays and Sundays.

Jamey Tesler. Photo by MassDOT.

“The Commonwealth and Amtrak have had a strong partnership for many years to provide rail services in Massachusetts, connecting communities across the Northeast and beyond,” noted MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler in a statement. “With the Valley Flyer service continuing, I see the partnership growing and getting stronger in the years ahead.”

“We launched the ‘Valley Flyer’ with our partners at MassDOT with the expectation it would become permanent, and we are delighted that our joint vision has come to fruition,” added Ray Lang, Amtrak’s vice president of state supported services.

Photo by Amtrak

Amtrak, in conjunction with MassDOT, has been running “Valley Flyer” trains seven days a week along the Connecticut River, using a rail line referred to as the Knowledge Corridor, with trains making station stops in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield.

This travel option is an extension of Amtrak’s New Haven to Springfield service and offers residents and visitors of Western Massachusetts a more frequent and convenient way connect with Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor at New Haven and reach stations between New Haven and Springfield, MassDOT said.

The Valley Flyer is an intercity service designed to increase the Pioneer Valley’s access to the NY metropolitan area and other points on the Northeast Corridor. MassDOT said the “Valley Flyer” service is on track to provide 24,000 annual trips for fiscal year 2023.

Related articles