Berkshire Flyer

The Berkshire Flyer is a seasonal Amtrak passenger train service between New York City and the Berkshire Mountains in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, via the Hudson Valley. The weekly train departs Penn Station on Friday and Sunday afternoons during the summer and returns on Sundays (Mondays on holiday weekends). The route's 2023 season began on May 26 and ran through October 9 as the second year of a three-year pilot program.

Development
In 2014, Massachusetts proposed moving ahead with plans for commuter rail service between the Berkshires and New York City. Eight round trips per day would have followed the Housatonic Railroad from Pittsfield through Connecticut to Southeast, New York, where they would have taken the Harlem Line to Grand Central Terminal. Four stops were proposed in Berkshire County: Pittsfield, Lee, Great Barrington, and Sheffield. The commuter rail project failed to progress due to lack of interest from the administration of Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy.

In 2017, the Massachusetts legislature began new efforts toward a summer tourist train, not commuter rail, between New York City and the Berkshires. Eddie Sporn, a Berkshire-based consultant, was researching the topic of restoring passenger rail service and sent an outline of plans to State Senator Adam Hinds. The plan for the "Berkshire Flyer" was modeled on the CapeFLYER, a popular seasonal train between Boston and Cape Cod. The proposal routed the train on the Empire Corridor through New York State rather than Connecticut. In September the legislature empaneled a working group consisting of MassDOT representatives, government officials, business leaders, and involved citizens to work on the project.

MassDOT released a Berkshire Flyer feasibility study in March 2018 in which three alternatives were studied. The first option (which was ultimately selected) was to extend an Empire Service round trip from Albany–Rensselaer to Pittsfield. The second option would have added a new limited-stop express train on this route, saving 10 to 12 minutes. The third would have added a new train that skipped Albany–Rensselaer by traversing the Schodack Subdivision, cutting 18 mi and saving 20 minutes. NYSDOT stated it would not support a service that did not stop at all Empire Corridor stations. The report also raised the possibility of a new Amtrak station in Chatham, New York, but this was not evaluated due to its large capital costs.

In May 2018, the Massachusetts Senate approved funds for a two-year trial of the Berkshire Flyer. The service would be a seasonal extension of a weekend Empire Service round trip to Pittsfield.

Pilot
The service pilot was originally scheduled to begin in June 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and questions around the program's legal sponsorship. It was rescheduled to take place in summer 2022 and 2023, and was later expanded to a third year, 2024.

In April 2022, Amtrak announced that the first trip would depart on July 8. Tickets went up for sale on May 25, starting at $45 one way. Service began as announced on July 8, 2022, with train 1235 departing on-time from Penn Station. Several local and state officials were aboard the first train, while others greeted it in Pittsfield. The season ended with a southbound trip on September 5, running on Labor Day instead of Sunday.

The 2022 season saw nine total Berkshire Flyer round trips, carrying 401 passengers northbound to Pittsfield and 418 riders southbound. Feedback on the route was positive, though many passengers desired the option to spend more time in Pittsfield, saying the limited schedule was inconvenient. Supporters hoped the schedule could be expanded for the 2023 season.

In April 2023, MassDOT announced the Berkshire Flyer's second season would run from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend. The first northbound train departed on May 26, and the last southbound train was scheduled for October 8. Twenty total round trips were scheduled, more than double that of 2022.

In 2023, MassDOT indicated that the pilot would be funded for a third season (summer 2024) in order to make up for the late start and minimal marketing of the 2022 season. This required a new agreement with track-owner CSX, who desired the construction of a passing siding at Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center. The 2024 season will operate from June 21 to September 2, 2024, with a Sunday northbound trip added. Connecting bus service (possibly Amtrak Thruway) between Albany–Rensselaer and Pittsfield may be added after the Berkshire Flyer season ends.

Service
The Berkshire Flyer operates northbound (New York to Pittsfield) on Friday afternoons and Sundays midday, and southbound on Sunday afternoon. Intermediate stops are made in both directions at Empire Service stations. In Pittsfield, passengers are welcomed by "ambassadors" who provide information and assist in wayfinding.

Route details
The Berkshire Flyer operates over CSX Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak trackage:


 * CSX Berkshire Subdivision: Pittsfield to Schodack, New York
 * Amtrak Post Road Branch: Schodack to Rensselaer
 * CSX Hudson Subdivision: Rensselaer to Poughkeepsie (leased to Amtrak)
 * Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line: Poughkeepsie to Spuyten Duyvil
 * Amtrak Empire Connection: Spuyten Duyvil to New York Penn Station

Though the Berkshire Flyer is the first and only Amtrak train to offer a direct ride between New York City and Pittsfield without layovers, all sections of the route are served by other Amtrak trains. The line between New York City and Rensselaer is part of Amtrak's Empire Corridor, while service between Rensselaer and Pittsfield is provided by the Lake Shore Limited.