By Adam Hinds, The Berkshire Eagle; April 1, 2018
PITTSFIELD — Connecting Berkshire County to New York City by passenger rail would spur the economy and start to reverse population decline. While the benefits have been clear for years, implementation has been a challenge. Yet, last week a Working Group led by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) determined a test run service connecting the Berkshires to New York by train, dubbed the Berkshire Flyer, could start in 2019 or 2020.
To date, the biggest barrier to reestablishing such service has been expensive track construction or upgrades, leading to lengthy timelines. To overcome both, I filed an amendment in last year’s budget forming a Working Group to explore the feasibility of using existing passenger rail from New York, entering Berkshire County from the west. The report is in, and the results are promising.
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