BURLINGTON — Amtrak service from Burlington to New York City is scheduled to begin on July 29, the state Agency of Transportation announced Thursday.
The service will be on Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express, which currently runs between the Big Apple and Rutland. The new route also includes stops in Middlebury and Vergennes.
Trains are slated to depart daily from Burlington’s Union Station at 10:10 a.m. and arrive at Penn Station in New York City at 5:45 p.m. On its northbound route, the Ethan Allen Express is scheduled to depart Penn Station at 2:21 p.m. daily and arrive at the Burlington waterfront at 9:55 p.m.
The train will stay the night in a nearby railyard — a decision preceded by years of squabbling over the aesthetic drawbacks of a train stored overnight near Waterfront Park.
Regular fares for the train will start at $75, with half-price promotional fares set to be offered this summer, according to a transportation agency press release.
Tickets are not yet available for the new service, said Dan Delabruere, the head of rail and aviation for VTrans. The three-letter codes that identify each Amtrak station have not been assigned to the stops in Burlington, Middlebury or Vergennes.
Jason Abrams, an Amtrak spokesperson, declined to tell VTDigger when tickets to Burlington would become available or the train stops given codes.
Amtrak has been operating test runs along the track between Rutland and Burlington for months. Those trains, Delabruere said, are not running as fast as the ones carrying passengers will, because parts of the track still need touching up between now and July 29.
In a series of statements, state leaders praised the service extension as a boon for Vermont residents and visitors.
“Passenger rail travel offers beautiful scenery, relaxation, and spacious and comfortable seating, and trains are nearly three times more energy efficient than automobiles,” said Joe Flynn, state Secretary of Transportation.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger each said the extension would serve as an economic boon.
Delabruere said his agency is planning a ribbon-cutting event on July 29 to mark the train’s first run to New York City.
