$10 million federal grant to extend Ethan Allen to Burlington, VT

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Only 11 miles of track is needed?
This story

https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-grant-restore-passenger-rail-212532646.html?ref=gs

from the Associated Press says it's a 75-mile route. It will get 11 miles of continuously welded rail, and ...

The new project will improve highways crossings, rail sidings, and new passenger platforms in Vergennes and Middlebury so people can start riding the route again.
Don't pack your bag just yet. "Construction should begin next year."
 
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As someone on another thread noted, this sets up the possibility of a circle trip in the summer. Albany-Burlington-ferry-Port Henry-Albany. Or start out anywhere south of Albany.
 
Or, Albany - Burlington - Essex Jct - Springfield - Albany, or even circle back via New York. Unlikely to be a single day trip though :)
Make it an even longer circle trip and take 448 from Springfield to Boston, 67 to NY, and 63 back to Albany. At least 448-67-63 is possible without having to take an extended layover.
 
Wow price range from 300,000 to 50,000,000 to park a train overnight. I see everyone looking for something.

The community comment were quite interesting, glad the sevendaysvt sources has not disabled them.
 
People need to realize that when they build/buy a residence next to out of use railroad tracks there is always a chance the tracks could be put back into active use. Years ago the Boston MBTA wanted to reopen a former south shore rail line and residents of the tony town of Hingham squawked so they built a tunnel through town, which I thought was wimpy and a huge waste of money. As they say, caveat emptor.

While this may be beneficial to local residents and some tourists, I don't see it of much use to railfans. Since the Rutland route diverts from the Adirondack's in Whitehall, at the very southern tip of Lake Champlain (and one of several places claiming to be the birthplace of the Navy), you lose the lake views of the latter. Decades ago, roughly around Y2K, there was a Burlington-Middlebury tourist train that I once took to Middlebury, had a very nice lunch (I think at Storm Café), then cycled back to Burlington - where the group was staying. It was a pleasant trip scenery-wise, but nothing to compare to the lakeside running of the Adirondack.

A tip for anyone transferring from the LSL to the Adirondack. Instead of doing this at Rensselear/Albany with a $12 taxi ride (each way) across the river to a downtown that dies at 5-6 PM, do it in Schenectady where several hotels are blocks away from the station and the downtown is lively in the evening, with many dining options. I made my switch from the Maple Leaf to the LSL here and was very glad of it, and wished I had on the outbound leg to the Adirondack.
 
Burlington has completed a study to help decide where the train will be parked overnight. Four locations were studied.

https://m.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessag...mmends-union-station-for-amtrak-train-storage

Here is an update on the Middlebury rail tunnel project that is a part of the improvements for extending the Ethan Allen to Burlington.

https://www.constructionequipmentgu...placing-century-old-bridges-with-tunnel/45043
The Middlebury tunnel has been the key source of delay on the entire project. Hopefully everything else will be funded and done by the time it is finished. (They need to rebuild the platforms in Middlebury and Burlington and, yes, set up parking for the train in Burlington, with "shore power".)
 
I saw it on arrival and leaving, but have always preferred to check in and stash my gear before considering dinner.

I was so tired from the 6 AM call and 12 hour ride from Toronto - two more than planned, that I settled for a bowl of Pasta Fagioli at Johnny's across the street from the Parker Inn. However, I was glad I only stayed a short while, as it's one of those places with only red and yellow light bulbs over the tables - which I find disconcerting, at best.

I had some time before the LDL at 2 PM, so visited the Thursday farmer's market at City Hall, picking up a bag of oatmeal-cranberry-white chocolate cookies, and there was some lunchtime jazz on Jay St., their short pedestrian mall. Somewhat surprisingly, almost all of the storefronts were occupied, although the ones on the mall mostly opened at 11 AM for the lunchtime "crowd". I had an early buffet lunch at an Indian place on Clinton St., and got a sandwich to go from Subway for later. The train was running half an hour late when I got to the station (recent elevator), but made it up and/or used the schedule slack by Boston.
 
The Middlebury tunnel has been the key source of delay on the entire project. Hopefully everything else will be funded and done by the time it is finished. (They need to rebuild the platforms in Middlebury and Burlington and, yes, set up parking for the train in Burlington, with "shore power".)

I thought I read that the tunnel was being designed to accommodate extra high cars, so does that suggest they plan to run domes on this route?

I am generally familiar with the area, but looking at the map now think that the run south from Middlebury could potentially be more scenic than the line north from there, as it generally follows the beginnings of Otter Creek and connecting swamplands. I'm guessing this trip would be best in the late fall and early (VT - past mud season) spring, with the fewest leaves to block your view, when you could avoid leaf-peeper and ski-season lodging rate hikes.
 
Clearance in the tunnel is most likely to accommodate freight traffic like auto racks, high cube boxcars, or intermodal containers. There was a project several years ago in Bellows Falls on the NECR to lower the floor of a tunnel for the same purposes. Vermont has never paid for a consist beyond the standard five Amfleets.
 
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