A new passenger rail service is scheduled to begin in western Massachusetts on August 30th.
The Amtrak Valley Flyer will have two southbound and two northbound trains daily connecting Greenfield, Northampton.and Holyoke with Springfield and New Haven Ct.
The service is something transportation advocates like Tim Brennan of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission have long lobbied for.
" We have to prove the ridership, that is why it is a pilot, but we have every intention of making it work." said Brennan.
MassDOT, which is sponsoring the service, said the schedule allows an early morning train trip to New York City with a return in the evening on the same day – something that has not been possible in more than 50 years.
