By The Editorial Board, The Berkshire Eagle; March 30, 2018
The Berkshire Flyer, upon which so many have pinned hopes of an economic shot in the arm for the county, isn’t yet ready to leave the station — but the concept is building a head of steam. Last Monday, the Berkshire Flyer Working Group released a feasibility study containing details about expenses and proposed schedules for the dedicated train that would run on weekends between Penn Station in New York City to Pittsfield via Albany. According to the Working Group, the seasonal service that would presumably deposit hordes of cultural tourists with bulging wallets to the Berkshires would run between Memorial Day and Labor Day at an annual cost of $420,000. The chosen Albany option had the advantage of running on existing track, thereby avoiding costly upgrades (required for a Connecticut route). It’s hoped that MassDOT, which is drafting a five-year railway funding plan, will be attracted by the lack of need for capital investment and prioritize the project. After years of going nowhere, the Flyer may finally, if all goes well, institute test service by the summer of 2019 and have its first pilot run by 2020, according to state Senator Adam Hinds, who has long championed the project on Beacon Hill.
Click here to read the full story.