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  • AMTRAK NEC: Springfield Shuttle/Regional/Valley Flyer/Inland Routing

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1519776  by shadyjay
 
The Big E is the name of the fair, which is held on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition complex in West Springfield, MA. The Amherst Railway Society Big Hobby Show is held at the Eastern States Exposition. I always called it the "Big E Train Show".

There is a city bus which runs every hour to the grounds from Springfield Union, so even if there's no dedicated bus, you can still "get there from here".
 #1519778  by BandA
 
Yes, Big E is the Eastern States Exposition. Over 100 years old. Automobile parking is $10, so with a free shuttle the NHHS line will probably carry lots of patrons. It's quite popular and a big deal in Springfield. Traffic sometimes backs up on the Mass Pike.

It's a very large agricultural-based fair, claims to be the largest on the east coast, which would make it larger than the Topsfield Fair. Discount tickets available through Big Y supermarkets btw. Based on prior years, I recommend the Spencer Trappist's beer tasting, if you get hungry split a Frigo Food's 1-pound meatball with a friend. Visit the working blacksmith shop, and the schoolhouse & other historic buildings of "Storrowton Village", and there are replica statehouses operated by government agencies of each of the six New England states. When in Maine be sure to get a loaded baked potato. I can't remember which state had the better deal on the maple cotton candy. MA had some good looking food vendors last year too. Take in some oxen pulling or craft exhibits, there are two Clydesdale horse teams from Budweiser and Halimore, which is a heavy rigging company. Parades, music, and the usual agricultural fair animal & craft exhibits/competitions & amusement rides.https://www.thebige.com/
 #1519927  by daybeers
 
I hope to use the shuttles! Haven't been to the Big E in a while. I saw somewhere there may be discounts at Big Y, anyone know about that?

Any news on the platform in Springfield? Can't believe it's taken this long.

The name change from "Shuttle" to "Amtrak Hartford Line" is interesting but makes sense, though I do agree with Kilo, some may get confused as all the Amtrak trains continue to Springfield, plus they don't allow bikes (a big negative for me, as I use my bike all the time). I guess that's the price MA pays when they didn't want to fork over enough money for the service (silly). It looks like the internal Amtrak system has switched over: the status and ticketing pages on the website show the new name. I took the picture below at the Meriden, CT station on Tuesday night the 10th (sorry for the quality).

In other news, CTDOT sent out a press release today with a short survey to join a Customer Advisory Panel for the purchase of new rail cars for the Hartford Line, Shore Line East, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch. Big news!
Attachments:
MDN PIDS with new Amtrak Hartford Line name.jpg
MDN PIDS with new Amtrak Hartford Line name.jpg (579.12 KiB) Viewed 1569 times
 #1519950  by lordsigma12345
 
daybeers wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:56 pm I hope to use the shuttles! Haven't been to the Big E in a while. I saw somewhere there may be discounts at Big Y, anyone know about that?

Any news on the platform in Springfield? Can't believe it's taken this long.

The name change from "Shuttle" to "Amtrak Hartford Line" is interesting but makes sense, though I do agree with Kilo, some may get confused as all the Amtrak trains continue to Springfield, plus they don't allow bikes (a big negative for me, as I use my bike all the time). I guess that's the price MA pays when they didn't want to fork over enough money for the service (silly). It looks like the internal Amtrak system has switched over: the status and ticketing pages on the website show the new name. I took the picture below at the Meriden, CT station on Tuesday night the 10th (sorry for the quality).

In other news, CTDOT sent out a press release today with a short survey to join a Customer Advisory Panel for the purchase of new rail cars for the Hartford Line, Shore Line East, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch. Big news!
The platform is coming along. Display screens and glass walls for the stairwell/elevator houses are up. But it has been a slow process.. Everyone seems to be hinting at an October opening. If that indeed happens that would mean it took 14 months to demolish/build platform C.

As for discounts I think you can still get them at Big Y.
 #1520174  by Train60
 
Amtrak just published a new NEC schedule (eff. 9.23.2019) on their website
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/proj ... 092319.pdf

Page 9 of this timetable includes this small box
Page 9
Page 9
Screenshot_2019-09-15 Northeast Corridor-Boston-Washington DC-September232019 - Northeast-Schedule-W04-092319 pdf.png (28.9 KiB) Viewed 1254 times
Its not totally clear what they had in mind, but these to me look like Employee Timetable points, not passenger stations!

Maybe they've got an intern designing the public schedules now.

Memo to Amtrak -- the Valley Flyer passenger stations stations north of Springfield are
Holyoke, MA
Northampton, MA
Greenfield, MA

ZCZC
 #1520186  by Safetee
 
well, i took a peak just where sweeney, mass is because who knows sweeney must be a teriffic place if amtrak goes there right? so i begged the google oracle to identify sweeney, mass, and they came up with sweeney funeral homes in eastern mass. which just might be a psychic premonition about the success of the valley service.
 #1520253  by ExCon90
 
There was a time when SEPTA locals to Malvern appeared on Center City departure boards showing the destination Frazer, because that was (and is) the yard where they terminated--not in the timetable, and they never carried passengers there unless one overslept and wasn't noticed by the conductor. Turned out that, since the line is dispatched by Amtrak, the dispatchers thought of the trains as destined to Frazer and it continued to appear that way until SEPTA got hold of somebody and got it fixed.
 #1520290  by daybeers
 
Train60 wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 pm Amtrak just published a new NEC schedule (eff. 9.23.2019) on their website
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/proj ... 092319.pdf

Page 9 of this timetable includes this small box

Its not totally clear what they had in mind, but these to me look like Employee Timetable points, not passenger stations!

Maybe they've got an intern designing the public schedules now.

Memo to Amtrak -- the Valley Flyer passenger stations stations north of Springfield are
Holyoke, MA
Northampton, MA
Greenfield, MA
Wow, this is very very frustrating. I'm calling Amtrak right now. I agree this might be intern work: that box is still titled "Greenfield Service" and Acelas are still called Acela Express.
 #1520298  by shadyjay
 
Good god... that is awful! For starters, the proper named stations should be integrated into the main timetable in the appropriate spot (above or below SPG, depending on direction) on pages 1-8, and then save the box on page 9 for advertising the new service. Or, just keep the box on page 9 and fix the station names! Also, the times don't look that accurate, and when/where is Springfield in that box?

I contacted Amtrak through FB... the CONTACT US form on the web site didn't seem to go through after numerous tries/browsers.

PS - I'm not holding my breath in waiting for a response, or a quick fix, but hopefully something will be done.
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