Holyoke prepares to be a stop on the Vermonter line

Date: 1/2/2015

HOLYOKE – For the first time in decades, Amtrak will be stopping in Holyoke and city officials broke ground on a passenger platform on Dec. 22.

Although the Vermonter train has begun its new route, which takes it through Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield, it will not be stopping in Holyoke until the platform is completed, according to Marcos Marrero, director of Planning and Economic Development.

Marrero explained to Reminder Publications the first phase of the platform would be completed April 2015 with the entire facility done by September.

Northampton and Greenfield had prepared temporary passenger platforms, but Holyoke elected not to do that, Marrero said. Holyoke’s permanent platform is expected to be the first completed of the three cities.

The platform will be at the end of Dwight Street, which also has the city’s bus station, Marrero pointed out.

The platform will be “the spinal cord for transit oriented development,” he said.

He believes the area of the city within a half-mile to one-mile radius of the platform could see the most development.

“It will be bankable in the future,” Marrero said.

He anticipates that businesses and housing could come because of the rail connection.

“It really does connect us to the region,” he said. “The feeling of a train is so much different than taking a car.”

Although the bus terminal is within walking distance, Marrero said there may be the possibility of a shuttle between the two in the future. He said in order to make that happen a study of the people taking the train is essential.

Marrero said city officials would be looking at the tourism potential of the Vermonter. He explained that in other communities’ tourism packages have been built around the fact the Vermonter stops there.

“There multiple ways to skin that cat,” Marrero said. Encouraging partnerships between private businesses is one way.