Trains In The Valley

10/14/2026

Opening Sunday, October 18th, the new Windsor Locks Train Station (at 231 Main Street) will provide Hartford Line and Amtrak passengers with an accessible, modern station and bus service to Bradley International Airport seven days a week. And parking will be free!

10/09/2026

Catching a train from the station Windsor Locks CT soon? Make sure you know exactly where to go.

Starting Sunday, October 18, 2026, all Amtrak and CTrail service moves entirely to the brand new downtown station platform at 229 Main Street.

Check out this nice guide for a breakdown of the location change, parking updates, and what to expect during the transition over the next few weeks:

Amtrak moves Windsor Locks station downtown on October 18, 2026, replacing the south I-91 shelter. Selectmen minutes cite an October 13 ribbon.

10/09/2026

Windsor Locks Station Ribbon Cutting Announcement

For those interested, the ribbon cutting for the new Windsor Locks Station is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13th at 10 am at 229 Main St. This event is free, open to the public, and all are welcome to attend!

The full schedule for the day's events includes ribbon cuttings at the historic train station, the new station, and the adjacent Transit-Oriented Development site.

The new station will open for service on Sunday, October 18th, at which time the current station on South Main Street will be closed.

A big thank you to the Town of Windsor Locks for posting the schedule for this event.

09/29/2026

Amtrak’s new Airo trains are entering service this week, beginning with the Amtrak Cascades route in the Pacific Northwest.

The new trains offer a number of passenger-friendly improvements, including much larger windows, individual power outlets and USB-C ports, improved Wi-Fi and digital information systems, larger accessible restrooms, easier boarding, more luggage space, more space for bikes, and a redesigned Café car.

From the looks of it, it may even be possible to reserve your seat on these new trains, as you can do on similar equipment in Europe.

And western Massachusetts won’t have to wait too long: Airo trainsets are planned for both the Valley Flyer and Vermonter, with the first Airo trains for Northeast Regional routes expected to enter service in 2027.

Seattle Transit Blog takes a close-up look at the new trains in the link below:

Amtrak Airo trains offer a modern interior and spacious seating. The newest trains in Amtrak’s fleet, Amtrak Airo, will welcome their first customers tomorrow on the Cascades route. To celebrate th…

09/24/2026

Sharing this video post from the MassDOT Rail & Transit Division — and what appears to be news that Andy Koziol, the West-East Rail Director, now also serves as Deputy Rail Administrator.

Congratulation, Andy!

09/23/2026

MassDOT is moving the Boston & Albany Corridor Project into its next phase: Service Development Planning.

Register for the virtual public meeting on Tuesday, October 6, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
https://www.mass.gov/event/boston-albany-corridor-service-development-plan-public-meeting-10-06-2026

The meeting will provide an overview of the planning process for the Boston & Albany Corridor, which will study how passenger rail service on this corridor would operate and identify the steps needed to get there

The Boston & Albany Corridor is part of the MassDOT's West-East Rail initiative and has been accepted into the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program.

MassDOT will also provide additional opportunities for public input as the planning process moves forward.

To learn more:
Visit MassDOT project website:
https://www.mass.gov/boston-albany-corridor-project

Visit Trains In The Valley's East-West Rail page:
https://trainsinthevalley.org/east-west-rail-in-massachusetts/

Have a comment or a question? Send it to MassDOT:
[email protected]

09/14/2026

New for 2026: Getting to The Big E by train just got easier!
The Eastern States Exposition and PVTA have partnered to operate the Big E Express — a free daily shuttle service between Springfield Union Station and The Fair.

Everything you need to know to get to the Big E by train this year.

07/30/2026

So, what’s going on here?

Everyone in our area knows where this is. It’s the Damon Road railroad crossing in Northampton, which sees about 16,000 vehicles a day.

A few weeks ago, someone (likely MassDOT) set up traffic cones to block off part of the left-turn lane for westbound traffic crossing the tracks.

From what we hear, at times vehicles in the left-turn lane were backed up over the crossing when the gates started to come down for a train. There may also be concern that a driver unfamiliar with the area, especially at night, could enter this lane and then mistakenly turn left onto the tracks.

We hear that a plan is in the works to build a traffic island on each side of the crossing and then restripe the roadway so that westbound drivers enter the left-turn lane only after crossing the tracks.

Further updates will be provided when we know more.

07/28/2026

Kids ON TRACK - This weekend at Springfield Union Station!
https://amherstrail.org/kids-on-track/

A weekend of family fun on August 1 & 2, 2026 (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM).

The Amherst Railway Society, CTrail, and Springfield Union Station are teaming up for an incredible event linking model railroading to STEM education.

Here is what you need to know: Run the Trains: Kids of all ages can operate model railroads right in the concourse.

Take a Ride: CTrail is running a special morning roundtrip between Springfield and Hartford. ($5 round trip tickets can be ordered in the link above.)

Special Guest: Maggie the Railroad Clown (Ringling Bros. alum!) performs Sunday, Aug 2.

07/23/2026

Possible Funding to Move Palmer Station Forward

Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate adopted an amendment to its draft Economic Development Bill (S.3178) that would provide $5 million for the proposed Palmer Passenger Rail Station.

Sponsored by Senator Jacob Oliveira, the funding is intended to accelerate station design and planning. This could help reduce the projected three-year gap between the start of Springfield-to-Boston passenger rail service (currently expected in 2030) and the station's anticipated opening in 2033.

It's important to note that this funding is not yet secured. The Economic Development Bill remains under debate on the Senate floor and has not yet passed the chamber. If the bill passes the Senate, the amendment must still survive negotiations between the House and Senate in a conference committee before the formal legislative session ends on July 31.

A proposed passenger rail station in Palmer moved a step closer to becoming a reality after the Massachusetts Senate approved $5 million to support the project as part of a broader economic develop…