PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ticket sales have begun for the Berkshire Flyer, the seasonal Amtrak service between New York and Pittsfield, Mass.
The weekend operation sees trains depart New York on Friday nights and return Sunday afternoon from Pittsfield, beginning June 21 and concluding with Labor Day weekend on Monday, Sept. 2. The train leaves New York’s Moynihan Train Hall at 3:16 p.m. on Fridays, arriving in Pittsfield at 7:27 p.m., returning Sunday from Pittsfield at 3:35 p.m. and arriving in New York at 7:55 p.m. A new Sunday train from New York departs at 10:50 a.m., arriving in Pittsfield at 3:15 p.m.
This is the third year for the train, which began as a pilot program in 2022 and has seen some of the Pittsfield-bound trains sell out well in advance; reservations are available at the Amtrak website, Amtrak app, or at 1-800-USA-Rail. It is a collaboration between Amtrak and the transportation departments of Massachusetts and New York State.
“We are pleased to offer this service for a third season and continue to advance other elements of the program with Amtrak, CSX, and our federal and state partners,” Meredith Slesinger, Massachusetts Rail and Transit administrator, said in a press release.
It’s all about Tanglewood and the beautiful Berkshires!
Tanglewood is in Lenox, not far from Pittsfield. The hotels are wherever. That this train has succeeded means that someone has put together convenient packages for hotels and local transportation.
The train makes sense for people with time and money to make a weekend of it in the Berkshires. For people with less time and less money, Tanglewood can be done in a day trip by car. I remember as a child in SE Massachusetts, we had no trouble driving to the Mass Pike to Lenox for a swim in the lake, then a picnic, then the concert, then home for bedtime.
PS Back in the day, the New Haven railroad had three or four trains a day Grand Central – Danbury – Pittsfield. Whether or not the trains were any good (i.e. dining cars, whatever) I’d have to look up.
I assume the Sunday train from New York turns to become the 3:35 departure from Pittsfield.
On Fridays, the consist deadheads from Pittsfield to Albany.
So, what happens with the equipment on the Sunday departure from New York?
My guess would be that it goes to Albany NY or even Springfield MA. They are not that far apart, Albany, about 40 miles. Springfield about 55 miles.