By Robert Kearns
Executive Committee Secretary and Outings Chair Robert Kearns is a recent graduate of UMass Amherst, a Braintree resident, and a lifelong environmental advocate.
As the early Sunday morning sun rays shone over Springfield Union Station, my girlfriend Corinne and I walked into the wide-open atrium of the station. Above our heads, we were greeted by the giant electronic timetable board.
Springfield’s Union Station (Robert Kearns)
Springfield’s Newly Renovated Union Station (Robert Kearns)
We made our way upstairs in an elevator to the platform of Union Station. The new high-level platform was still under construction, so when our train arrived, we stepped up on a step stool that the Amtrak conductor brought from the train.
Train next to the high level platform under construction at Union Station (Robert Kearns)
I was hoping that the high-level platform would be finished for us to use as it is essentially for full accessibility for people with disabilities. Amtrak has wheelchair lifts, but level boarding is more convenient and faster for all passengers. High-level platforms also help everyone board faster, lowering the dwell times, or the time at the station for passengers, preventing delays.
All aboard! We were on the Valley Flyer heading for Greenfield on the first weekend trip of the pilot passenger rail service. Our friend Erin kindly drove us down to Springfield for our journey up to Greenfield and back down to Northampton Station.
Our train pulled out of Union Station then worked its way along the Connecticut River. As we crossed the East West Rail tracks I took photos looking eastward towards Union Station, Palmer, Worcester and Boston as well as westward railroad bridge to Chester, Pittsfield and Albany. Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited long-distance train actually goes all the way West to Chicago!
Railroad Bridge going East-West over the Connecticut River (Robert Kearns)
Looking East to Boston and West to Pittsfield, Albany and all the way to Chicago! (Robert Kearns)
We then proceeded on through Chicopee as I got a shot of a park we went past.
Passing by a park in Chicopee (Robert Kearns)
We then crossed westward over the Connecticut River into the Great City of Holyoke where my girlfriend Corinne is working as an elementary school teacher through Teach for America.
Heading over the Connecticut River to Holyoke (Robert Kearns)
Holyoke is an old paper mill city in the valley and has some really awesome architecture from the old mills to the city hall clock tower. The station is right downtown in Holyoke. The train then winded across the world-famous canals that powered the mills of yesteryear.
Scenes of Downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts (Robert Kearns)
Holyoke’s world famous canals (Robert Kearns)
We then followed along the Connecticut River parallel to Route 5 and passed the dinosaur fossil tracks site. It is a cool location to check out if you are driving along Route 5 in Holyoke.
Connecticut River along Route 5 in Holyoke (Robert Kearns)
We then passed a solar farm, flat farmlands and different wetlands at The Oxbow as we entered Northampton.
Solar farm in Northampton (Robert Kearns)
Up next was Northampton Station where we stopped briefly and then continued through downtown Northampton along the rail trail.
Northampton Station, Main Street and the Bike Trail in Downtown Northampton (Robert Kearns)
We then passed through some pretty wetlands and farmland in Hatfield and Deerfield.
Views from the Valley Flyer in Hatfield and Deerfield (Robert Kearns)
Next we went over a river and into Greenfield. At Greenfield Station we got out of the train and admired the new extended platform at Greenfield Station as well as the modern John W. Olver Transit Center. Thanks to the vision of Congressman Olver (retired) as well as Congressman Neal and Congressman McGovern who succeeded with redistricting we have the infrastructure for the service that we rode on.
Congressman John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts (Robert Kearns)
At Greenfield, more people came on the train as we headed back South to our destination of Northampton.
We then past the great views of Farmland, Rivers and Wetlands in Deerfield and Hatfield.
Views from Greenfield to Hatfield (Robert Kearns)
At Northampton many more people came aboard traveling South to Holyoke, Springfield and the Hartford Line to New Haven Union Station, New York City and beyond.
People getting on the Southbound Train in Northampton (Robert Kearns)
The great thing about this pilot passenger rail service is that you can get from the Pioneer Valley to visit New York City in the morning and come back in the evening the same day, something that could not be done with the Amtrak Vermonter train.
Remember that this is a pilot passenger rail service, so if we do not use it, we will lose it. And Amtrak is doing an offer, when booking tickets use Promo Code V459 to get 25% off of your purchase. So I encourage everyone to go for a ride on the Valley Flyer and support passenger rail in Massachusetts.
Join me in riding the rails! (Photo by Corinne Thomas)