Lani Duke

Before too long, Vermonters may see a new kind of railroad car on the tracks, replacing the silver Amtrak cars that ply a diagonal swath from St. Albans to Brattleboro. The new form of rail traffic would save the state money and improve the availability of rail service not only within the state but in connections to New York City and Washington, DC, says Richard Hosking, rail program manager with the state Agency of Transportation.
Hosking’s agency has proposed that the state legislature buy three self-propelled diesel cars, known as diesel multiple units (DMUs), and two additional coaches to give better service and more flexibility. The pilot project would save the state money on its state-subsidized Vermonter run, Hosking says. He believes it would also boost ridership and improve the Vermonter’s financial picture.
As it is, today’s Vermonter “is an extension of the Northeast corridor,” Hosking says. The Northeast corridor “needs a lot of cars in the southern end, but, north of New Haven, Connecticut, it has more capacity than people.” The state has to pay for “additional cars” that make up the larger train, running all the way to St. Albans. Under the proposed plan, passengers would switch to the smaller cars at New Haven.
The smaller cars and coaches, each with a capacity of 60, would make up a “properly sized train,” Hosking comments. “We’re also proposing extra service,” traveling from White River Junction to New Hampshire twice a day rather than only once, leaving Vermont’s eastern edge earlier in the day than it does currently, so that travelers may arrive at their destinations earlier.
Currently, the Vermonter passenger train pulls away from St. Albans at 8:30 a.m., seven days a week. It stops at Burlington/Essex Junction at 9:00 a.m. then travels southeast through Waterbury/Stowe, Montpelier/Barre, and Randolph before reaching White River Junction at 11:23 a.m. It stops at Windsor/Mt. Ascutney, VT; Claremont, NH; and Bellows Falls, VT, before its final Vermont stop at Brattleboro, at 12:31 p.m.
The run continues through Amherst and Springfield, MA, with six stops in Connecticut, and reaches New York City at 6:25 p.m. Passengers continue through Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, and Baltimore, MD, before reaching Washington, DC, about 10:00 p.m. Return trips leave Washington at 7:30 a.m. on weekends or 8:10 a.m. on weekdays, reaching their Vermont terminus at St. Albans at 9:25 p.m.
Passengers wanting to catch the proposed earlier train “can come down by bus or car to White River Junction,” and make earlier connections to complete their journeys, Hosking proposes.
The three motorized cars and two additional coaches would carry a price tag of about $17.5 million and can be outfitted according to the state’s plan for service. On the drawing board are a limited number of bicycle and ski equipment spaces, Hosking points out; the current Amtrak cars have no such compartments. The passenger compartments, with reclining seats, are more comfortable than contemporary Amtrak coaches; they have a lower center of gravity, and rock less as they roll along, he notes. The purchase would allow two running trains of one car trailing one coach, with a back-up car in reserve.
The Agency has been discussing the feasibility of the project with Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, LLC, a firm based in Fort Lupton, CO. The company has built DMUs that first entered commercial use in Florida at the end of 2003. They are built to customer specification.
The proposed DMUs are extremely energy efficient, getting about two miles per gallon carrying 90 passengers, and 1.5 mpg if they pull two additional coaches, or about four times more efficient than a standard commuter rail locomotive. They have very low particulate emissions and are extremely quiet, compared to a locomotive.
Currently, passengers on the Vermonter traveling business class receive reserved deluxe seating, with complimentary non-alcoholic beverage service and power outlets for laptops. A café car offers sandwiches, snacks, and beverages. These amenities may be available on the DMUs, too. They wouldn’t have a separate car for food service though, Hosking says.
Building the state’s order would take about 14 to 16 months. The new Vermonter cars could be in service, shuttling vacationers and business people to and from their destinations, as early as January of 2009.
The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) and Trainriders/Northeast have praised the new cars for their efficiency, quietness, and environmental friendliness. They postulate that the DMUs would open up possibilities for expanding rail routes throughout New England.
As it is, the state of Vermont shells out $3.3 million per fiscal year for the Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express (one non-stop, round trip per day from Rutland to New York City). The passenger rail service north to Montreal was discontinued in 2003. Costs for Amtrak service to the state are expected to rise. If the rail car pilot project is successful, the state may consider buying an additional set of car and coach for the Ethan Allen run.