Massachusetts has committed $31 million to track capacity improvements in Pittsfield under a new agreement between the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and CSX, the first formal step toward converting the seasonal Berkshire Flyer into permanent weekend passenger rail service between New York City and Pittsfield.

The funding, included in MassDOT's fiscal year 2027-2031 Capital Investment Plan, will pay for construction of a siding and other track improvements in the Pittsfield area. MassDOT says the work will increase rail capacity and reduce conflicts between passenger trains and CSX freight operations on the Boston-Albany corridor. The department will also study the feasibility of a new platform at Pittsfield Station.

The agreement follows a rail operations modeling study completed in July 2024, which examined passenger and freight operations along the Boston and Albany corridor and identified the Pittsfield-area improvements as the infrastructure needed to unlock capacity for permanent passenger service.

"People in Western Massachusetts have been clear that they want better rail connections, and we're delivering," Governor Maura Healey said. "This agreement puts the Berkshire Flyer on a path toward permanent seasonal service and invests in the infrastructure we need to keep expanding West-East passenger rail service between Boston and Albany."

What does the Berkshire Flyer carry today?

Since launching in 2022, the Berkshire Flyer has run seasonal weekend service between New York City and Pittsfield, linking the Berkshires' businesses, cultural attractions and recreation areas to the Northeast rail network. The 2026 season added a second round trip, opening new travel options for Berkshire County residents heading to New York.

The service currently operates as one of four MassDOT-supported Compass Rail services run by Amtrak, alongside the Vermonter, Valley Flyer and Hartford Line.

Where do the new trains come from?

The announcement coincides with approximately $2 billion in federal funding awarded to Amtrak through the Federal Railroad Administration's National Railroad Partnership Program for additional Siemens Airo trainsets. Amtrak will assign the new trainsets to services nationwide, including the Compass Rail portfolio — the Berkshire Flyer and the planned Inland Route between Boston, Springfield and New Haven, the first phase of West-East Rail.

The Airo trainsets feature more spacious seating, power outlets, 5G Wi-Fi, bike storage, improved accessibility and updated passenger information systems.

"We are experiencing record levels of demand in America for passenger rail, and making Berkshire Flyer a permanent summer service is another example of travelers wanting to take more trains and not have to be stuck driving or in traffic," said Amtrak Vice President for Planning and State Partnerships Nicole Bucich.

How does this fit the broader Compass Rail plan?

The Healey administration frames the Pittsfield project and the new trainsets as components of its Compass Rail vision for expanded intercity rail within Massachusetts and connections to neighboring states. Progress to date includes:

• $108 million in federal funding secured in 2023 for infrastructure improvements supporting future Inland Route service between Boston and New Haven through Springfield.
• $36.8 million secured in 2024 for the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project, covering design of track, signal and infrastructure improvements at Springfield Union Station.
• $3.5 million for the Boston-Albany Corridor Service Development Plan.
• Continued state investment in the $31 million Pittsfield Track Capacity Project and planning and design for a future Palmer station.

CSX framed the deal as a balanced outcome for freight and passenger operators. "This project demonstrates what strong public-private partnership and targeted infrastructure investment can accomplish," said Andy Daly, CSX Senior Director of Passenger Rail Operations. "These improvements will support safe, reliable passenger service while preserving the efficient freight operations that support regional businesses, communities, and economic growth."

MassDOT Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng credited the administration's rail priorities for bringing the partners together, saying the investments give "residents, visitors and the general public more choices while strengthening the Berkshires' connection to the broader Northeast."

Once the Pittsfield siding and track improvements are complete, MassDOT expects the infrastructure to support permanent seasonal weekend Berkshire Flyer service and to lay the groundwork for expanded Boston-Albany corridor passenger rail through Western Massachusetts.