BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – Construction on a new Amtrak station in Brattleboro is set to begin March, the Commons News reported. The station, which will be served by Amtrak’s Vermonter, will cost $10 million and take 18 months to complete. It will include the first high-level passenger platform in Vermont.
In November 2020, Amtrak announced it was in discussions with the Town of Brattleboro, New England Central Railroad, and the State of Vermont on a proposal for a new, ADA-compliant Brattleboro station. It would include a new station building, platform and track changes. Additional ADA-compliant amenities include parking, ramps and steps up to the platform level, lights, signage, a new waiting room with an attached restroom and covered outdoor seating.
To build the new station, Amtrak had to negotiate a lease with the New England Central Railroad. It also had to work with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the State Historic Preservation Offices of the National Park Service and Green Mountain Power.
The project will include rebuilding New England Central’s track and switches and a new, 345-foot-long platform 48 inches above the rail. The new station includes a 36-seat waiting area, a restroom, and a covered outdoor area with bench seating. It will also have an electric snow-melting system. The full project construction cost has been estimated at $7.4 million. Amtrak has already spent $1.7 million on track work and $1 million on design.
The current Amtrak waiting room occupies the ground floor of the former Brattleboro Union Station. The two other levels are home to an art museum. Annual ridership for Brattleboro in fiscal year 2023 was 15,180.
This story was updated on Jan. 19, 2020 with a photo of the Vermonter in Brattleboro, Vt.
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