NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Valley Flyer service between New Haven, Conn., and Greenfield, Mass., will be made permanent, Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Amtrak officials announced Friday.
The extension of New Haven-Springfield service to Greenfield was launched as a two-year pilot program on Aug. 30, 2019 [see “‘Valley Flyer’ shuttles … to being Aug. 30,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 26, 2019]. Service was reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and revived in full on July 19, 2021. The current schedule offers two weekday round trips and one on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We launched the Valley Flyer with our partners at MassDOT with the expectation it would become permanent, and we are delighted that our joint vision has come to fruition,” Ray Lang, Amtrak vice president, State Supported Services, said in a press release. “We thank our customers for riding with us as their demand for train travel has helped provide numerous benefits to Western Massachusetts communities, residents, and visitors.”
Officials said that while passenger ridership across the Northeast remains below pre-pandemic levels, the Valley Flyer has met projected ridership levels and matched the Northeast Corridor in its level of return to pre-pandemic demand. The service is on track to provide 24,000 trips in fiscal 2023.
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