Sunday, June 19, 2022

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) confirmed Thursday US train operator Amtrak will begin services to Burlington on July 29, becoming the first passenger rail service to the city in nearly seventy years.

The Ethan Allen Express, which has run between Rutland and New York City since the mid-1990s, will operate two daily services connecting Burlington with New York. A southbound service will depart Burlington at 10:10am and arrive at New York’s Pennsylvania Station at 5:45pm, and a northbound service will leave Penn Station at 2:21pm to arrive in Burlington at 9:55pm.

Track work has been ongoing since fall 2020 to allow passenger trains to service Burlington, and two new stations have been constructed at Vergennes and Middlebury. A one-way fare from Burlington to New York will cost a minimum of US$75, though VTrans has stated half-price promotional fares will be offered during the summer.

In a statement, Vermont governor Phil Scott said “this new service will benefit Vermonters in countless ways, all while helping to grow our economy.” Burlington mayor Miro Weinberger remarked “this long-desired service will give a boost to our economic recovery at a critical time, and give travelers a new, lower-carbon connection to New York and the rest of the Amtrak system.”

The train servicing Burlington will have four coach cars and a café car, with Wi-Fi access and bike racks also available for riders.