A Weekend of Green Mountain Railroad Excursions
Part 3: Champlain Valley Flyer, Burlington-Shelburne, VT
With Bonus Cab Ride
August 15, 2004
By Matt Melzer of TrainWeb.com
http://www.trainweb.com/travelogues/mattmelzer/2004h15a.html
Click on a photo below for a larger image.
The route was upgraded in 2000 to feature heaver, welded rail, automated block signalling, new intermediate stations, and other infrastructure improvements using various public funding to support the launch of the Champlain Flyer commuter service. Unfortunately, the service was discontinued last year, supposedly due to low ridership and revenue. Some critics have cited the lack of marketing support from the state (whose initiative it was to start the service to begin with), the lack of robust intermodal connections, the flat $1 fare, and the lack of density in local population all as contributing factors to the Champlain Flyer's non-viability. Fortunately, the route lives on in passenger service as excursions.
Long-term plans call for Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express (New York City-Rutland) to be extended from Rutland north to Burlington, which could serve the area's population better than the remote Vermonter station in Essex Junction. It would also restore long-lost service to Middlebury and other western Vermont towns. Tens of millions of dollars in additional capital improvements and new operating support would be required for this extension of about 65 miles.
Though the Champlain Valley Flyer normally runs between Burlington and Charlotte (13 miles), this day's operations were truncated to run between Burlington and Shelburne (about 7.5 miles). Enjoy these photos from two round-trips on the Champlain Valley Flyer, one in the locomotive cab.
Click on the below links to view each set of photos:
Set #01 - Champlain Valley Flyer
Set #02 - Champlain Valley Flyer Cab Ride
Questions? Comments? E-mail matt@trainweb.com .
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