Some Good news!

[P40Power]

Finally the BRTA's (Berkshire Regional Transit Authority) new intermodal transportation center opened for business with no fanfare Monday. I havent heard anything about it in a while so it was a suprise to me when I saw it in the Berkshire Eagle newspapaper. They had a picture of the Barnam & Bailey Cicrcus train passing the station and a Bus departing from the center.

Definatly an improvement over the Amshack across the tracks, but there has always been a certain "Amtrak Feel" to that little shack, and I must say I will kinda miss waiting for the train there. Then again Im a little wierd. So Amshack haters can rejoice that another one has been taken off the map and replaced by a pretty impressive structure.

I would imagine that Amtrak Tickets are probably gonna be sold now at this location but I doubt they would have Checked baggage. No high-level platforms at this stop, which kind of dissapointed me.

I will have to stop by and see whats going on inside the impressive structure!

 

[Trogdor]

Pittsfield, MA? You mean they replaced the bus shelter?

 

[P40Power]

Yes sir! The bus shelter Amshack is no longer the Pittsfield, MA train station. Its about time too, this "Intermodal Center" has been years in the making!

 

[efin98]

for the largest city in the Berkshires you would think they would have something better than a bus shelter...A great move in getting the new transit center opened up, always the best way to get people to ride trains is a great station to board at!

 

[P40Power]

It seems to me about time that Pittsfield did gain something more of a station. The prior Amtrak Station, the current CSX offices on East Street, wasnt much compared to the Magnificent Union Station but even that was more then an Amshack, this a bit more enviting.

Ridership levels vary greatly out of Pittsfield, sometimes there is a significant number of riders there, somedays there are none at all. Hopefully this new structure will give ridership in and out of the Berkshires a shot in the arm because the Pittsfield stop has always seemed promising.

 

[railman]

So whatever became of Pittsfield Union Station? I assume torn down but would like to know for sure....

 

[P40Power]

Most of it was torn down. It used to be HUGE since Pittsfield was a major junction of three lines as well as a fairly major city. But Urban Renewal of the 60s and 70s took care of it pretty good. One part of it is left right next to the Amshack, the Union Station building its called. It has many different little offices and used to be home of the Brewery resturant, I dont think thats there anymore though.