Patrick-Murray Administration Announces Agreement to Extend Berkshire Scenic Rail Rides
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"Through this partnership we have come up with a plan that will allow residents and tourists to experience the beauty of the Berkshires in a very unique way," said Governor Deval Patrick.
The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, founded in 1984, it is a nonprofit, living museum dedicated to preserving the history of railroading in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts. Located in the restored 1907 Lenox Station, the museum offers 20 mile, round trip scenic train rides through the towns of Lenox, Lee and Stockbridge on an active railroad line that follows the Housatonic River. The museum will open for the 2010 summer season on Saturday, May 29. For more information, visit www.berkshirescenicrailroad.org or call 413-637-2210.
"We have made it a priority to strengthen our commitment to rail throughout the Commonwealth. This is yet another example of how we can partner with the private sector to deliver rail improvements that will benefit our economy and communities," said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jeffrey Mullan.
"We must be taking advantage of every opportunity to craft solutions like this one that will support our local tourist economies," said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Richard Davey.
Housatonic Railroad is a freight railroad that connects to the national rail system through CSX Transportation in Pittsfield. Housatonic freight operations on the Berkshire Line in Massachusetts began in 1991 after the line segment from Pittsfield to Canaan, Conn. was purchased by Housatonic from the Boston and Maine Railroad.
Housatonic operates approximately 38 miles in Massachusetts and serves two paper companies along with 8 other customers. The Berkshire Line passes through the communities of Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Housatonic, Great Barrington and Sheffield.
