RailAmerica wants expanded passenger rail service

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) - RailAmerica wants to bring back a passenger rail train that would once again make Palmer a major hub.

Many people say a 30-minute train ride is much better than sitting in traffic and wasting gas, and that's exactly what RailAmerica wants to offer. They want a new passenger rail train that will go from Connecticut to Vermont, making stops in Palmer and Amherst.

This passenger rail would use Palmer as a hub and connect thousands of people in Connecticut to Amherst, Massachusetts, then all the way to Burlington, Vermont.

It’s a proposal that’s popular among many.

Josi Klein of Granby, Connecticut told 22News “If I can use public transportation and it's reasonably accessible to me... will not take me too much more time than if I were to use my car, I want to know about it.”

Jodi Brouillette of Palmer said, “This is a very authentic place to be, this train station. It once was very popular. A lot of our customers come in and request that. Are they ever going to open this train station back up for that travel? You have to go to Springfield now.”

And for some people, bringing a rail service back also means bringing back fond memories.

George Katz of Manchester, Connecticut said “I got on a passenger train in North Manchester. It took us all the way to Boston for the Red Sox - Yankees game. I was about 7 or 8 years old at the time.

Donald Bushun of Springfield said “I rode the rails before from North Carolina to New York then to Massachusetts. In fact I rode the rails to get engaged to my wife.”

Supporters of the project say they would like to see the service in place in the next 3 years, but they'll have to work with the owners of the tracks and contact the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.