Google maps says for July 30th, Hilton Garden Inn is $380.
Ethan Allen schedule change
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Does that also hold true for Essex Jct, which is 8:18pm ? While there are Route #2 buses at 8:35pm, 9:50pm and 11:05pm, the last Sunday bus is 7:10pm. There is Days Inn Colchester along the way.
The last #6 Monday - Saturday bus to South Burlington is 10:30pm for somewhat cheaper lodging. If Amtrak is a half hour late, then what ?
Now if only GMT and Clinton County buses could coordinate some way to get between Burlington and Plattsburgh via Grand Isle ferry. Port Kent is no longer a way to go.
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Yeah, that's the next question. Even if they provide bus services that late for arriving passengers, how will it be handled if the train is late? Also wonder if there will be a convenient solution to get from the station to the Downtown Transit Center.
The northbound Vermonter arrives in Essex Junction at 8:18pm.
Union Station in Burlington is 3 blocks away from the Downtown Transit Center.
The Port Kent ferry suspension is entirely a private company matter. While it should be run as a region, at the moment GMT is a Vermont agency. I don't think Vermonters would be too happy about their buses running to New York.
Burlington has a semi-decent amount of service for the region and density it's located in. Essex Junction has always been an issue.
People won't walk 3 blocks after 10pm to a city bus terminal. GMT needs to serve Union Station at train time.
Gand Isle is in Vermont; the Ferry is what goes to NY State. That's why I mentioned the Clinton County system to get them on the NY side into town. Washington State ferries and county buses are pretty well coordinated this way. It is a busy ferry crossing with 12 minute frequencies.
I think GMT needs to think of regional use beyond 9 - 5 clock-punchers.
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It's a 10-15 minute walk uphill. I agree with Amtrak25, the station needs to be either served by a shuttle bus to the Transit Center or one or more of the lines start there, otherwise there's not much point in additional bus services for arriving Amtrak passengers, especially in winter.
Goes to show lack of thought to first mile / last mile for the passenger.
The last GMT bus at about 1030pm, like Route 6 to South Burlington, needs to head to Union Station and wait however long for a late train.
I for one still plan to take VT Translines arriving at 6pm, Ethan Allen or not, to avoid this nonsense. Essex Jct has late buses, but risk standing around there up to an hour waiting for one as it runs into the night every 75 minutes. Don't arrive on a Sunday. Be nice if there were a couple of B&B's within walking distance.
The last GMT bus at about 1030pm, like Route 6 to South Burlington, needs to head to Union Station and wait however long for a late train.
I for one still plan to take VT Translines arriving at 6pm, Ethan Allen or not, to avoid this nonsense. Essex Jct has late buses, but risk standing around there up to an hour waiting for one as it runs into the night every 75 minutes. Don't arrive on a Sunday. Be nice if there were a couple of B&B's within walking distance.
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In a small city like Burlington, the first mile/last mile is handled by either the passenger parking their car at the station or the passenger getting picked up/dropped off by family, a friend, or taxi/ride share. Heck, even in a large city like Baltimore with a light rail right in the station and bus stops right at the door, I almost always drive and park, or use a taxi/ride share. Amtrak should have no problem with attracting passengers in Burlington under those conditions. If the local people there want to have better transit connections to the Amtrak Station, that's really their responsibility.
And if you think that's bad, there are some Amtrak stations, like Huntingdon, PA, that don't even have taxi service in the area, let alone buses.
If they want tourists to come, they should think out of the box, and not all are willing to head to a downtown hotel for $400 a night. They must think they're Boston. Montreal is cheaper.
When we did the Adirondack train and ferry bit, we called a taxi from the ferry dock, had them take us to the airport and rented a car. Then we stayed at a hotel on the outskirts of the city that was considerably cheaper. On our way home, we did the reverse, except the taxi took us to Essex Junction and the Vermonter.
However, I am indeed mystified at the phenomenon of attractive small New England cities having crazy-expensive hotel rates. Portland Maine is like this, too. In fact, hotels in downtown Portland are more expensive than hotels in downtown Boston. I know, as I'm staying in Boston a couple of nights this summer. We're having our daughter fly into Manchester, NH, in fact, because the hotel prices in Portland, even out by the airport and highway, are nuts. But the hotel prices the rest of the year are more reasonable. The moral of the story seems to be is "don't travel in the summer."
Need frequent public transportation (there's nothing) to and from Plattsbugh using that ferry to shuttle back and forth. They choose not to rip off tourists. Even St Albans hotel rates are ridiculous and there's nothing there.
Funny, looking up station codes for Burlington, VT, Port Kent comes up, Union Station does not, even though Port Kent hasn't had a train since the beginning of the pandemic, and never will again because that ferry is kaput.
Funny, looking up station codes for Burlington, VT, Port Kent comes up, Union Station does not, even though Port Kent hasn't had a train since the beginning of the pandemic, and never will again because that ferry is kaput.
GoAmtrak
Train Attendant
I'm quite happy Amtrak is finally able to expand its system. Burlington in Vermont was last served by rail in 2003 (by a commuter rail) thus not that longtime ago, but Middlebury and Vergennes were last served by rail in 1953.
It's also amazing that Middlebury, Vergennes and Burlington all use their old train stations again or stop nearby.
Just four days, and then expansion is there
What I'm wondering about are rumors Amtrak wants to replace its Adirondack service from Northern New York to Montréal with a service between Burlington, Essex Junction, Saint Albans and Montréal. Thus this new service between Rutland and Burlington would be just a substitution, not an expansion.
Politicians of Northern New York are trying to urge Amtrak to bring the Adirondack back between Fort Edward, Plattsburgh and Montréal. Would be quite sad if upstate New York loses a service, although the area concerned is quite rural. But rural people perhaps also enjoy to be connected to the rest of the World. The area seems charming for tourists as well.
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I haven't heard any such rumors and it doesn't matter what Amtrak wants - the Vermonter and Adirondack are each supported by their own state. There are far more issues in sending the Vermonter to Montreal than the Adirondack.
Channel 3 has a quick shot of Vergennes
https://www.wcax.com/2022/07/29/new-amtrak-train-route-roll-burlington-new-york-city/
Thanks for the link. Really disappointed to see that station is low-level as well. Low-levels are terrible IMO and should not be built anymore.
LOL at the unnamed person saying NYC is the largest city in the world @2:42
that was the governor of Vermont, Phil Scott.Thanks for the link. Really disappointed to see that station is low-level as well. Low-levels are terrible IMO and should not be built anymore.
LOL at the unnamed person saying NYC is the largest city in the world @2:42
So glad to see the route and train in service. I used to be in Burlington, VT nearly every quarter of the year.
Northbound I’d take the Adirondack up to Port Kent and then the ferry across to Burlington (or to Plattsburgh and rent a car). Southbound I’d take the Vermonter. No matter what - it was a day of travel to Burlington on the Adirondack or Vermonter.
Hopefully Amtrak can look to speed up the route eventually. Surprised it takes 2 hours by rail to get from Burlington to Rutland. But I believe the top speed is only about 55 mph in that stretch. Amtrak and Vermont did work on hair cutting some of the trip time on the meandering route of the Vermonter. Should be a general goal across the board for Amtrak to work on reducing trip times. All we’ve seen for the most part is more time added to schedules - including all the new schedules that have emerged with the LD trains to date (e.g, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, etc.).
Southbound I wish the Ethan Allen Express was an after lunch departure from Burlington, VT to give some space or additional alternative to the Vermonter, which leaves Essex Junction (Burlington nearby) at just around the same time. Northbound schedule is ok, but even a bit if it left an hour later I’d at least prefer it.
I think this train has GREAT potential for serving and connecting Amtrak to Burlington and Middlebury especially. LOTS of college students that could take advantage of the route. That’s a key target ridership for Amtrak.
Wishing the service well! Vermont is a unique state and has embraced passenger rail from nearly the beginning of Amtrak. Miss the Montrealer though - that was a great overnight train to get from NE to mid/up-state Vermont at reasonable hours. Would be cool to see a Burlington, Rutland, Bellows Falls, and on to Boston train. The Vermonter - when having the thruway bus connection at St. Albans to/from Montreal - used to carry a LOT of passengers destined to Boston. Making the connection with the Lake Shore or one of the few remaining “inland route trains” was VERY popular!
Northbound I’d take the Adirondack up to Port Kent and then the ferry across to Burlington (or to Plattsburgh and rent a car). Southbound I’d take the Vermonter. No matter what - it was a day of travel to Burlington on the Adirondack or Vermonter.
Hopefully Amtrak can look to speed up the route eventually. Surprised it takes 2 hours by rail to get from Burlington to Rutland. But I believe the top speed is only about 55 mph in that stretch. Amtrak and Vermont did work on hair cutting some of the trip time on the meandering route of the Vermonter. Should be a general goal across the board for Amtrak to work on reducing trip times. All we’ve seen for the most part is more time added to schedules - including all the new schedules that have emerged with the LD trains to date (e.g, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, etc.).
Southbound I wish the Ethan Allen Express was an after lunch departure from Burlington, VT to give some space or additional alternative to the Vermonter, which leaves Essex Junction (Burlington nearby) at just around the same time. Northbound schedule is ok, but even a bit if it left an hour later I’d at least prefer it.
I think this train has GREAT potential for serving and connecting Amtrak to Burlington and Middlebury especially. LOTS of college students that could take advantage of the route. That’s a key target ridership for Amtrak.
Wishing the service well! Vermont is a unique state and has embraced passenger rail from nearly the beginning of Amtrak. Miss the Montrealer though - that was a great overnight train to get from NE to mid/up-state Vermont at reasonable hours. Would be cool to see a Burlington, Rutland, Bellows Falls, and on to Boston train. The Vermonter - when having the thruway bus connection at St. Albans to/from Montreal - used to carry a LOT of passengers destined to Boston. Making the connection with the Lake Shore or one of the few remaining “inland route trains” was VERY popular!
This is an expanded service but historically how reliable is the Ethan Allen Express regarding being on time? The scheduled arrival in Burlington is 10:00 which is late (although I understand why the NYP departure time was chosen) which makes any delays more of an issue.
acelafan
Conductor
Here is the northbound Ethan Allen, #291. Not bad by Amtrak standards. RUD was the prior terminus before the BTN service started.
https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/a...df5=1&df6=1&df7=1&stat=avg&chartsize=2&dfon=1
was obviously a slip of the tongue and he meant to say largest city in US.
why was the late departure from NYP chosen. Give more time for people to spend in NYC?
They wanted it to be as late as possible so that those bound for Rutland don't kill the whole day getting there as with the Vermonter to White River Jct.
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