Vermonter

TheVermonter inHolyoke in 2025
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Locale	New England,Mid-Atlantic states
Predecessor	Montrealer
First service	April 1, 1995
Current operators	Amtrak in partnership withCTDOT,MassDOT andVTrans
Annual ridership	115,940 (FY 25)  1.2%[a][1]
Route
Termini	St. Albans, Vermont Washington, D.C.
Stops	29 (weekdays) 30 (weekends)
Distance travelled	611 miles (983 km)
Average journey time	12 hours, 40 minutes (northbound) 12 hours, 57 minutes (southbound)[2]
Service frequency	Daily
Train number	54-57
On-board services
Classes	Coach Class Business Class
Disabled access	All cars, all stations
Catering facilities	Café
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet cars
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line: 12.5 kV AC at 60 Hz(New Haven–New York) 12 kV AC at 25 Hz(New York–Washington)
Operating speed	48 mph (77 km/h) (avg.) 125 mph (201 km/h) (top)
Track owners	NECR,MassDOT,MNCR,Amtrak
Route map Show interactive map Legend 69 mi 111 km Montreal Quebec,Canada Vermont,United States Proposed extension 0mi St. Albans 24 mi 39 km Essex Junction Winooski Branch toBurlington 47 mi 76 km Waterbury 56 mi 90 km Montpelier 86 mi 138 km Randolph 118 mi 190 km White River Junction 131 mi 211 km Windsor Connecticut River VT NH 140 mi 225 km Claremont Connecticut River NH VT 157 mi 253 km Bellows Falls 181 mi 291 km Brattleboro VT MA Pre-2014 route 205 mi 330 km Greenfield Amherst 224 mi 360 km Northampton 235 mi 378 km Holyoke Palmer(reverse move) 245 mi 394 km Springfield MA CT 260 mi 418 km Windsor Locks 271 mi 436 km Hartford 282 mi 454 km Berlin (bypassed 2018) 289 mi 465 km Meriden 295 mi 475 km Wallingford (bypassed 2018) Northeast Corridor toBoston 308 mi 496 km New Haven 321 mi 517 km Bridgeport 344 mi 554 km Stamford CT NY East River Tunnels underEast River 379 mi 610 km New York City Empire Corridor toAlbany NY NJ North River Tunnels underHudson River 390 mi 628 km Newark Penn 404 mi 650 km Metropark 427 mi 687 km Princeton Junction 437 mi 703 km Trenton NJ PA Delaware River Keystone Corridor toHarrisburg 470 mi 756 km Philadelphia–30th Street PA DE 496 mi 798 km Wilmington DE MD 564 mi 908 km Baltimore 575 mi 925 km BWI Airport 596 mi 959 km New Carrollton MD DC Floridian toChicago 605 mi 974 km Washington, D.C. toChicago,Newport News,Norfolk, Roanoke,New Orleans,Miami This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram map

TheVermonter is apassenger train operated byAmtrak betweenSt. Albans, Vermont, andWashington, D.C., viaNew York City.^[3] It replaced the overnightMontrealer, which terminated inMontreal until 1995. Amtrak receives funding from the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont forVermonter operations north ofNew Haven.^[4]

Duringfiscal year 2023, theVermonter carried 99,974 passengers (not including riders between New Haven and Washington, D.C.), a 14.5% increase from FY22.^[5] In FY16, the train earned $5,718,268 in revenue, a decrease of 1.8% from FY15.^[6]

TheVermonter was preceded by an overnight train between Montreal and Washington that was known as theMontrealer, which was inaugurated in 1924 as a joint service of thePennsylvania Railroad, theNew Haven Railroad, theBoston & Maine Railroad, theCentral Vermont Railway and theCanadian National Railway. Another train, theAmbassador, ran the same route during thedaytime, but terminated in New York City. Both services used the Boston and Maine'sConnecticut River Line south ofVernon, Vermont, rather than the route prior to 2014 over theNew England Central. Amtrak took over the train in 1971, and continued operating it until 1995 (excepting a brief suspension from 1987 to 1989).

Starting around 1940, theCentral Vermont Railway operated a train between St. Albans and White River Junction called theVermonter. It departed St. Albans in the evening, arriving around midnight or later in White River Junction. Sleeper cars were transferred to Boston or New York City-bound trains. It left White River Junction in the middle of the night, arriving in St. Albans in the early morning.^[7] The train was discontinued on November 5, 1965.^[8] This service lends its name to the modern incarnation of theVermonter.^[9]

TheVermonter replaced theMontrealer on April 1, 1995, bringing daytime Amtrak service to Vermont.^[10]

Business Class was added to replace thesleeping cars that were taken out of service upon the change to theVermonter. The route was changed to allow travelers from Vermont to again stop inSpringfield andHartford. This was made possible by the use ofcab cars, or engineer positions on both ends, so that the train could travel east from Springfield toPalmer, Massachusetts, and reverse direction to continue north on theCentral Vermont. This detour added an hour of running time, but at the time was judged more practical than seeking to use the direct route over the then-decayed former Boston and Maine Railroad trackage owned by theGuilford Rail System. The train travels from Washington toNew Haven on theNortheast Corridor, whereelectric locomotives are substituted for thediesel locomotives used north of that location.

Vermont declined to pay for continuing theVermonter to Montreal due to high labor and terminal costs in Montreal. For a time, Amtrak offered passengers a connectingAmtrak Thruway bus service, operated byVermont Transit, which met the train at St. Albans for connections to and from Montreal. Ridership plunged when the train schedule was moved two hours earlier, requiring a southbound departure before 5:00 a.m. The schedule was returned to its previous position, but the service was dropped by Vermont Transit (which had been running it without a subsidy as part of its regular schedule) on October 30, 2005.

On October 30, 2006, theVermonter began stopping at the towns ofWallingford andWindsor Locks (nearBradley International Airport) in Connecticut for the first time.^[11]

In the late 2000s, Amtrak and the State of Vermont considered the purchase ofdiesel multiple unit (DMU)trainsets for use on theNew Haven–St. Albans stretch of the line,^[12] with Amtrak offering a $2 million grant to help make the switch and market the new service. The new cars would purportedly have saved $4.25 million over three years, being four times more fuel efficient than a locomotive-hauled train.^[13] In 2008, the Vermont state legislature approved the purchase of five cars fromColorado Railcar at a cost of $18.2 million, but the company closed while the decision was awaiting approval of GovernorJim Douglas.^[14] With no other DMU designs available that were capable of operating in mixed traffic with other trains, the plan was dropped.

On November 9, 2010, the State of Vermont, Amtrak, and New England Central began a $70 million project to increase train speeds along the route in Vermont to 59 miles per hour (95 km/h) between St. Albans andWhite River Junction, Vermont, and to 79 miles per hour (127 km/h) between White River Junction andVernon, Vermont.^[15]

On October 5, 2012, theFederal Railroad Administration announced the completion of track work within the states of Vermont andNew Hampshire for the above-mentioned stimulus plan. Within the states of Vermont and New Hampshire 190 miles (310 km) of track were refurbished. The track work included installation ofcontinuous welded rail, road-crossing improvements, ballast replacement, tie replacement, bridge repair and renovation, and embankment improvements. The top speed of the line within Vermont was increased to 79 miles per hour (127 km/h).^[16][17] The Massachusetts portion of the track work was completed in 2015.

On October 5, 2015, the southboundVermonter derailed inNorthfield, Vermont, after striking a rock slide. Five cars and the engine derailed; the engine and an empty car slid down an embankment. Five passengers and two crew members were injured, one seriously.^[18]

Starting June 9, 2018, theVermonter no longer serves theBerlin andWallingford stations in Connecticut. These locations are served by other Amtrak trains and by the newHartford Line commuter rail service.^[4]

In March 2020, theVermonter was truncated toNew Haven as part of a reduced service plan due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.^[19][20] The move was forced after the pandemic prompted Vermont GovernorPhil Scott to declare a state of emergency. TheVermonter resumed its full route on July 19, 2021, with $1 promotional fares on that date for travel within Vermont.^[21][22]

Until 1987, theMontrealer traveled on the Connecticut River Line between Springfield and Brattleboro with a stop inNorthampton. Due to the deteriorating condition of the tracks in that section, Amtrak ceased service by the train.

When theVermonter service restored train service between Springfield'sUnion Station, Brattleboro and points north in 1995, theVermonter traveled a somewhat-indirect route: east toPalmer, Massachusetts, and then north up the east side of theConnecticut River viaAmherst, Massachusetts. It usedCSX Transportation'sBoston Subdivision between Springfield and Palmer. At Palmer, it made a backup move on to theNew England Central Railroad (NECR), as no direct track connection existed. Massachusetts later rehabilitated the more-direct Connecticut River Line route with $10 million in state and $73 million in federalAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.^[23][24]

During rehabilitation of the Connecticut River Line,Vermonter service was restored to it on December 29, 2014. With the re-route, the train ceased stopping atAmherst, but a stop was restored toNorthampton and, for the first time for Amtrak, a stop atGreenfield was added. The re-route and consequent elimination of the backup move saved about 25 minutes of travel time between Springfield andBrattleboro when the line rehabilitation was completed, in early 2015.^[25][26][27]

Although the backup move at Palmer is eliminated by the re-route, a short backup move at Springfield is still required due to the layout of the tracks.^[28] The tracks atSpringfield Union Station run east-west, so the northboundVermonter needs to curve into the station, back out, and switch back onto the tracks continuing north; the opposite move occurs for southbound trains.

In January 2015, the number ofVermonter riders using the two new stations (in Northampton and Greenfield) was up 84 percent compared to the equivalent station in Amherst the previous year.^[29] Aninfill stop inHolyoke was added on August 27, 2015.^[30][31]

On March 26, 2020, service north of New Haven was temporarily suspended.^[32] On November 30, 2020, service was cut back further fromNew Haven toNew York.^[33] This was done in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Service to St. Albans resumed on July 19, 2021.^[22]

Efforts have been underway for many years to extend theVermonter to Montreal. In 2012, theFederal Railroad Administration awarded $7.9 million to allow for the upgrade of the existing freight rail line between St. Albans and the Canada–US border.^[34] Work on this project was completed in late 2014.

On March 16, 2015, Canada and the United States signed the "Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Preclearance Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada". The agreement would allow for the establishment of a preclearance customs and immigration facility withinCentral Station in Montreal that could be used by both an extendedVermonter and Amtrak's existingAdirondack train.^[35]

Before theVermonter can be extended to Montreal, theUnited States Congress must pass enabling legislation for the preclearance agreement and theParliament of Canada mustratify the agreement. Construction of a preclearance facility in Central Station is expected to take about three years: one year for planning and permitting and two years for construction. Construction of the preclearance facility is not expected to start until after the preclearance agreement has been approved by both governments.^[36][37] Enabling legislation was enacted by the United States on December 16, 2016, as the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016.^[38] As of late 2018, logistics have delayed the extended route's introduction until at least 2023.^[39] As of late 2021, according toVermont transportation officials, while the United States remains active on the project, interest and engagement from regional and federal authorities on the Canadian side has frozen.^[40]

In 2021, VTrans looked into potential infrastructure upgrades that would allow theVermonter to reach 79 mph (127 km/h) on sections in Vermont, up from 59 mph (95 km/h). Saving around 1 hour 30 minutes between New Haven and Montreal, this scenario is forecast to incentivize an additional 31,100 to 40,900 riders per year by 2040. A key component to increasing the speed limit would be the installation ofcentralized traffic control from Greenfield to Brattleboro and from White River Junction to theborder.^[41]

MostVermonter trains consist of five cars hauled by alocomotive.^[42]

The passenger cars are theAmfleet I series passenger cars built by theBudd Company in the mid-to-late 1970s. Most trains include anAmfleet club car which has a combination of Business Class seating with a Café (food service/lounge) and four Coach Class cars.^[42]

Between St. Albans and New Haven, trains are pulled by aGE Genesis diesel locomotive at speeds up to 110 mph (177 km/h). Between New Haven and Washington, the service operates over the Northeast Corridor which has overhead electric wires and trains are pulled bySiemens ACS-64 electric locomotives at speeds up to 125 mph (201 km/h)

In the coming years all equipment will be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets, the railroad's branding of its combination ofSiemens Venture passenger cars and aSiemens Charger diesel-electric locomotive.^[43] The trainsets for theVermonter will have six passenger cars, which will include a food service area and a mix of 2x2 Coach Class and 2x1 Business Class seating.^[44] The car closest to the locomotive will be a specialized "Auxiliary Power Vehicle" which will include a pantograph to collect power from overhead lines and will feed it to four traction motors in the car, and via a DC link cable, to the four traction motors in the locomotive.^[45] The arrangement will offer a near seamless transition between power sources atNew Haven, a process that currently requires a time-consuming locomotive change.

All classes of service include complimentary WiFi, an electric outlet (120 V, 60 Hz AC) at each seat, reading lamps, fold-out tray tables. Reservations are required on all trains, tickets may be purchased online, from an agent at some stations, a ticketing machine at most stations, or, at a higher cost, from the conductor on the train.^[46]

• Coach Class: 2x2 seating. Passengers self-select seats on a first-come, first-served basis.^[47]
• Business Class: 2x1 seating with more legroom than coach. Passengers receive complimentary soft drinks. Seats assigned in advance.^[48]

TheVermonter uses Amtrak andConnDOT's electrifiedNortheast Corridor line from Washington, D.C., to New Haven, Connecticut. After switching to a diesel locomotive at New Haven, it then uses the Amtrak-ownedNew Haven–Springfield Line north to Springfield, Massachusetts,^[4] and theMassDOT-ownedConnecticut River Line between Springfield andNorthfield, Massachusetts. From Northfield to St. Albans, Vermont, it traversesNew England Central Railroad trackage.^[49] Weekend trains have an additional stop atMetropark station inIselin, New Jersey.^[4]

TheVermont Agency of Transportation offers discounted fares for travel between most Vermont stations along the route.^[50]

State	Mile (km)	Location	Station	Connections
Vermont	0 (0)	St. Albans	St. Albans	Green Mountain Transit (GMT): 96, 109, 110, 115, 116
	24 (39)	Essex Junction	Essex Junction	GMT: 2, 4
	47 (76)	Waterbury	Waterbury	GMT: 83, 86, 100
	56 (90)	Montpelier	Montpelier
	86 (138)	Randolph	Randolph	Intercity bus:Tri-Valley Transit
	118 (190)	White River Junction	White River Junction	Green Mountain Railroad Tri-Valley Transit: 89er Advance Transit: Orange Line
	131 (211)	Windsor	Windsor
New Hampshire	140 (230)	Claremont	Claremont
Vermont	157 (253)	Bellows Falls	Bellows Falls	The Current: 2, 53, 55, 57 Intercity bus:Greyhound
	181 (291)	Brattleboro	Brattleboro Union Station	The Current: 4, 5, 7, 7S, 10, 11, 53, Brattleboro White Line
Massachusetts	205 (330)	Greenfield	John W. Olver Transit Center	Amtrak:Valley Flyer FRTA: 20, 21, 24, 31, 32, 41 Intercity bus: Greyhound
	224 (360)	Northampton	Northampton Union Station	Amtrak:Valley Flyer PVTA: B48, G73E, R41, R44
	235 (378)	Holyoke	Holyoke	Amtrak:Valley Flyer PVTA: R24, R29, T24, X90
	245 (394)	Springfield	Springfield Union Station	Amtrak:Lake Shore Limited,Northeast Regional,Hartford Line,Valley Flyer CTrail:Hartford Line PVTA Bus: B4, B6, B7, B7S, B12, B17, G1, G2, G2E, G3, P20, P20E, P21, P21E, R10, R14, X92, LOOP Intercity bus: Greyhound,Peter Pan Bus Lines
Connecticut	260 (420)	Windsor Locks	Windsor Locks	Amtrak:Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer CTrail: Hartford Line CTtransit Bus: 24, 96, 905
	271 (436)	Hartford	Hartford Union Station	Amtrak:Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer CTrail: Hartford Line CTfastrak: 101 Hartford/New Britain, 102 Hartford/New Britain/Bristol, 128 Hartford/Westfarms-New Britain CTtransit Bus: 30, 45X, 62, 64, 66, 72, 74, 82, 83, 84, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, SC, DASH, PPB
	289 (465)	Meriden	Meriden Transit Center	Amtrak:Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer CTrail: Hartford Line CTtransit Bus: 215, 561, 563, 564, 565, 950
	308 (496)	New Haven	New Haven Union Station	Amtrak:Acela,Hartford Line,Northeast Regional CTrail:Hartford Line,Shore Line East Metro-North:■ New Haven Line CTtransit New Haven Intercity bus: Greyhound,Peter Pan
	321 (517)	Bridgeport	Bridgeport	Amtrak:Northeast Regional Metro-North:■ New Haven Line,■ Waterbury Branch Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
	344 (554)	Stamford	Stamford Transportation Center	Amtrak:Acela,Northeast Regional Metro-North:■ New Haven Line,■ New Canaan Branch CTtransit Stamford Intercity bus: Greyhound
New York	379 (610)	New York	New York Penn Station	Amtrak (long-distance):Cardinal,Crescent,Lake Shore Limited,Palmetto,Silver Meteor Amtrak (intercity):Acela,Adirondack,Berkshire Flyer,Carolinian,Empire Service,Ethan Allen Express,Keystone Service,Maple Leaf,Northeast Regional,Pennsylvanian Long Island Rail Road:■ City Terminal Zone,■ Port Washington Branch NJ Transit:■ North Jersey Coast Line,■ Northeast Corridor Line,■ Gladstone Branch,■ Montclair–Boonton Line,■ Morristown Line NYC Subway:​​​​ MTA Bus
New Jersey	390 (630)	Newark	Newark Penn Station	Amtrak:Acela,Cardinal,Carolinian,Crescent,Keystone Service,Palmetto,Pennsylvanian,Silver Meteor Newark Light Rail NJ Transit Rail:■ North Jersey Coast Line,■ Northeast Corridor Line,■ Raritan Valley Line PATH:NWK-WTC NJ Transit Bus Intercity bus: Greyhound,Coach USA,Fullington Trailways
	404 (650)	Iselin	Metropark	Amtrak:Acela,Crescent,Keystone Service,Northeast Regional,Palmetto NJ Transit Rail:■ Northeast Corridor Line NJ Transit Bus
	437 (703)	Trenton	Trenton Transit Center	Amtrak:Cardinal,Carolinian,Crescent,Keystone Service,Northeast Regional,Palmetto,Pennsylvanian,Silver Meteor NJ Transit Rail:■ Northeast Corridor Line,■ River Line SEPTA Regional Rail:■ Trenton Line NJ Transit Bus,SEPTA Suburban Bus
Pennsylvania	470 (760)	Philadelphia	30th Street Station	Amtrak:Acela,Cardinal,Carolinian,Crescent,Keystone Service,Northeast Regional,Palmetto,Pennsylvanian,Silver Meteor SEPTA Regional Rail:all routes NJ Transit Rail:■ Atlantic City Line SEPTA Metro: SEPTA City Bus, SEPTA Suburban Bus, New Jersey Transit Bus Intercity bus:Megabus,Martz Trailways
Delaware	496 (798)	Wilmington	Wilmington	Amtrak:Acela,Cardinal,Carolinian,Crescent,Northeast Regional,Palmetto,Silver Meteor SEPTA Regional Rail:■ Wilmington/​Newark Line DART First State Intercity bus: Greyhound
Maryland	564 (908)	Baltimore	Baltimore Penn Station	Amtrak:Acela,Cardinal,Carolinian,Crescent,Northeast Regional,Palmetto,Silver Meteor MARC:■ Penn Line Light RailLink MTA Maryland,Charm City Circulator
	575 (925)	Linthicum	BWI Airport	Amtrak:Acela,Crescent,Northeast Regional MARC:■ Penn Line Shuttle toBaltimore/Washington International Airport MTA Maryland,UMBC Transit
	596 (959)	New Carrollton	New Carrollton	Amtrak:Northeast Regional MARC:■ Penn Line Metro:Orange Line,Silver Line Metrobus,TheBus, MTA Maryland Intercity bus: Greyhound
District of Columbia	605 (974)	Washington	Washington Union Station	Amtrak:Acela,Cardinal,Carolinian,Crescent,Floridian,Northeast Regional,Palmetto,Silver Meteor MARC:■ Brunswick Line,■ Camden Line,■ Penn Line VRE:■ Manassas Line,■ Fredericksburg Line Metro:Red Line DC Streetcar:H Street/Benning Road Line Metrobus, MTA Maryland,Loudoun County Transit,PRTC Intercity bus: Greyhound,Megabus,Amtrak Thruway,BestBus,Peter Pan,OurBus

• Adirondack (train)
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• Solomon, Brian (2004).Amtrak. Saint Paul, Minnesota: MBI.ISBN 978-0-7603-1765-5.

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