PITTSFIELD — After two years of work, a detailed plan to bring more people to the Berkshires from New York City by rail is drawn up and on the table.
And around that long table at the Intermodal Transportation Center on Friday, local and state officials celebrated the completion of a 40-page plan for the Berkshire Flyer, a two-year pilot for seasonal, weekend service on Amtrak set to run 20 weeks per year from Penn Station.
Mayors, legislators and local officials all beamed at the idea that the Flyer, with a planned June 2020 start, would stop on Columbus Avenue, releasing passengers who then would travel around the county and infuse a limping rural economy with more money.
“It’s a benefit for the entire county,” said North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard, adding that it is “critical” to make sure visitors have a way to get around once they arrive in Pittsfield. Read more about the Flyer’s untapped potential>>