Train service is one of the things that travelers know is much better in Europe and Asia than in the US. Who hasn’t traveled to say, Switzerland or England, and marveled at the speed and the efficiency of their rail transport? I took a train across Austria a few years ago and it was one of the most marvelous travel experiences I can remember. I took notes of the many things I saw out the window as we sped toward the ski resort town of Kitzbuhel from Graz.
Today I was happy to read about the new funding for high-speed rail that will turn our I-91 corridor, along the Connecticut River, into a new high speed rail track. Stations that haven’t seen passengers since the 1960s like Greenfield and Holyoke will get new rail service.
The people who aren’t happy are the devoted rail-users of Amherst, who pleaded with Amtrak not to change the route. But taking a detour over to Palmer and Amherst adds 45 minutes to the Vermont-New York route. Amherst was overruled, thank God, and now the trains will follow the most logical way, straight up and down. I can’t wait to board the train in Greenfield or Holyoke, just as soon as the tracks and the stations are ready to go!
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