Why doesn't the Vermonter terminate in Burlington?

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Also keep in mind that the eventual goal is to get the Vermonter to terminate in Montreal. That's what we should be working on. Turning west to Burlington would make that rather difficult although I guess a looooong backup move is possible.

Just another thought. In the days of the Palmer shuffle, the Vermonter had an engine (or some type of cab car) on both ends. Then an Essex Junction to Burlington reverse move would have been easier. There is no reason for that now and it is running with only one engine.
 
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Take a look at the tab for fall schedule..I believe the Summer Schedule ends 9-3 and they have the short Fall schedule, no winter service on that route...

Well, I think most folks would consider the first half of September as still summer, and I'm unable to open the leaf icon.
 
Also keep in mind that the eventual goal is to get the Vermonter to terminate in Montreal. That's what we should be working on. Turning west to Burlington would make that rather difficult although I guess a looooong backup move is possible.

Just another thought. In the days of the Palmer shuffle, the Vermonter had an engine (or some type of cab car) on both ends. Then an Essex Junction to Burlington reverse move would have been easier. There is no reason for that now and it is running with only one engine.
This is why I think it makes more sense to leave the Vermonter as is, and actually extend the Ethan Allen so as to terminate and turn at St. Albans where there already is facility to turn a train, instead of screwing up the station area in Burlington. Maybe even have it connect with the Vermonter/Montrealer in St. Albans allowing folks from Western Vermont to travel to Montreal.
 
This is why I think it makes more sense to leave the Vermonter as is, and actually extend the Ethan Allen so as to terminate and turn at St. Albans where there already is facility to turn a train, instead of screwing up the station area in Burlington. Maybe even have it connect with the Vermonter/Montrealer in St. Albans allowing folks from Western Vermont to travel to Montreal.

You could also look at it as restoring "the station area in Burlington" to its original function.
 
You could also look at it as restoring "the station area in Burlington" to its original function.
Sure. But by terminating the EA there you do not increase network connectivity by creating just a dead end terminal when you have interesting potential network connectivity available 15 miles away. And in any case the station is still restored to its original function of serving as a passenger stop anyway.
 
I think they use Labor Day Weekend as their cutoff....It's not the leaf tab (although everyone would associate that with fall especially up there where leaf peeping is big business), you have to go to "route schedules by season" then it's the tab next to summer..sorry, I didn't make that clearer when I posted..
 
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Thanks to both of you, Jennifer and velotrain,

Is Burlington worth it, anyway? It sounds like it has a nice touristy upscale trendy downtown waterfront, with nice restaurants and that pedestrian mall. Or is it seedy for the most part, with just a small nice area, and they have a good PR department?

But I only want to go if it is worth it to do all that train/ferry stuff to get there.:)

I grew up in Burlington, and the only thing that disappoints me going beck is that Urban Renewal when I was a teenager got rid of the "seedy" (and most interestingly diverse) part of town and replaced it with the current bland mix of hotels and tourist infrastructure overlooking the waterfront. The former working industrial waterfront is now all touristy and full of interesting old buildings that have been restored as restaurants and retail. There is a lot to do in Burlington -- be sure and check the entertainment guides when you are looking at dates. Friends who live nearby are always posting photos and videos of their nights out on the town.

Personally, I think the ferry is a wonderful experience in itself, not merely an inconvenient way to get to Burlington. If you are into walking, the University campus is an arboretum with trees from all over the world, and you pass many beautiful old homes and buildings on the way up the hill from downtown. Don't know where the poor people went, but I walked quite a lot last summer and did not pass any areas I would describe as "seedy" (though I passed through some neighborhoods that were definitely home to recent immigrants, and clearly showed their colorful diversity).
 
Essex Jct. isn't really that far from Burlington proper. Some years ago we did a circle trip up the Adirondack to Port Kent, over on the ferry, taxi to the airport, rented a car and went to Maine, then returned the car and took a taxi from the airport to Essex Jct., where we boarded the Vermonter for the ride back to Baltimore. I don't recall the taxi rides being particularly long or expensive.
Yes. It’s not ten miles. It’s practically in Burlington.
 
It is also becoming clearer by the day that Burlington residents do not really want a train service facility anywhere near the downtown station. Too much gentrification around there to tolerate a train servicing facility apparently. Anything arriving there will have to be dragged back halfway to Essex Jct. minimally for overnight stabling and servicing.
 
7.1 miles. 15 minute drive. That’s probably a $5 Uber. In most cities, that would be a normal drive or trip to the station. I live 30 miles from the nearest Amtrak station. Spending millions of dollars to detour a train into downtown Burlington for such a short distance? Give me a break.
Yes, Penn Station Baltimore is 8 miles from my house, and I live in Baltimore City.
 
At an estimated cost of $4 million to rehab the Burlington to Essex Jct tracks, they should just do it. Saves $1 million by avoiding facilities in Burlington. The remaining $3 million could be crowd funded. And should be. Outflank the state.
 
7.1 miles. 15 minute drive. That’s probably a $5 Uber. In most cities, that would be a normal drive or trip to the station. I live 30 miles from the nearest Amtrak station. Spending millions of dollars to detour a train into downtown Burlington for such a short distance? Give me a break.

Try three times that amount. Perhaps the Uber driver gets $5 for a 7.1 mile trip. But the descriptions that I've read say that the all-in price to the rider is closer to $2 per mile -- and higher during "surge pricing" periods.
 
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