The Berkshires, which are famous for their picturesque views and abundance of opportunities for outdoor activity, have long been a favoured retreat for New York City residents who are looking for a change of pace. Amtrak has finally launched a new route connecting New York City to Pittsfield, Massachusetts (the heart of the Berkshires), making travel much easier for those of us who are in need of a break. This new route comes after more than 50 years of passengers needing to change trains in order to reach their destination.

This route is simply a test run; from now until September 24, 2022, the Berkshire Flyer will leave Moynihan Train Hall on Fridays at 3:16 p.m. and will leave Pittsfield at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Both departure and arrival times are in Eastern Standard Time. On the other hand, taking into account that all of the tickets for the inaugural service were purchased, it would not come as a surprise if the line became permanent by the following year.

State Senator Adam G. Hinds, who serves as a representative for the districts of Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, had a significant role in the construction of the train line. According to what he said with TripSavvy, "My aim is that we sort out some of the issues this summer and make improvements next year, and then we'll be set to go." The long-term plan is to have daily routes all through the year.

I was fortunate to test out the Berkshire Flyer for the first time during its inaugural trip. Living in New York City might make you long for the lush landscape of the surrounding suburbs, and I took advantage of the opportunity to do so. Here are some of the reasons why I believe this beta test will be successful:

Moynihan Station, the Train Stop
Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station is a maze of freshly restored rail lines. It also features its own food court, a sky-lit atrium, a gorgeous and pleasant lounge, and a variety of other passenger amenities that have been newly constructed or significantly upgraded. Although this railway station is a place where you can wait for your train for a considerable length of time if necessary, I arrived at the station thirty minutes before boarding knowing exactly where I needed to go, thus there was no need for me to use this facility. Or so I thought at the time.

With one notable exception, it wouldn't have been too difficult to find the track where my train was supposed to be. Even as we were getting closer to the time when we were supposed to board the Berkshire Flyer, the track number for that train wasn't printed on any of the many information boards that were located throughout the station. Instead, the track number was only provided via the announcement that was made over the loudspeaker. You can probably picture the chaos that ensued as people scrambled to get to the track while praying that we wouldn't miss our train. Fortunately, I was able to board the train without any issues, but as a result of this accident, eight other individuals did not make it; more on this will be discussed later.

Boarding
As soon as I learned where the train was, I made a beeline for it and was directed to a car that was reserved only for passengers going on to Pittsfield. (The train makes stops at seven different stations including Yonkers, Croton-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, and Albany-Rensselaer.) 

Even though there are intentions to bring back the cafe car service in the future, there was no cafe car available for this inaugural ride. (You might want to carry some water or snacks on board with you just in case you feel hungry, so keep that in mind.) As we were leaving the station, a conductor scanned everyone's ticket, at which point we were informed that this first-ever route was completely sold out.

After that, we were finally ready to go. The voyage was uneventful for the most part, with the exception of a brief period during which things became choppy as the train rushed past Westchester County. The onboard Wi-Fi provided by Amtrak made the four-hour journey feel like it went by in a fraction of the time, and I was able to get a good deal of work done. The entire trip there, it maintained both its speed and its reliability.

Route
The Berkshire Flyer travels a one-of-a-kind journey. The train leaves New York City towards Albany and then makes an unusual turn to Pittsfield, which is located to the east. At the Albany station, a supplementary engine is coupled to the rear of the train, and it is this engine's job to pull the car in the opposite direction. At first, it seemed as though we were travelling in the wrong direction; nevertheless, we were actually going in the proper direction. If you get motion sickness, like I do, it is strongly recommended that you bring along some medication to alleviate the symptoms during this leg of the journey.

The scenery on this tour required that you stop whatever you were doing and take in the sights at some point. On the trip to Pittsfield, I chose to sit on the left side of the train so that I could take in the breathtaking views and architecture that we passed along the way. These included the bridges and boats that crossed the Hudson River as well as the verdant landscape that we encountered as we got closer to Massachusetts. It made the train travel that lasted for four hours that much more delightful.
Shortly after we departed from Moynihan Station, the conductor appeared on the loudspeaker to inform us that there were eight people on the train who had not shown up for their ride. They were required to take the following train that stopped at Albany, where we would then wait for them to join us for the final segment of the voyage lasting an hour. This was necessary because they had missed the train.

This resulted in a slight delay for us. After what had been a nearly three-hour-long journey up to that point, we were delayed at the Albany station for approximately thirty minutes, which provided everyone with a wonderful opportunity to stand up and stretch their legs. The train that had been following us finally caught up with us and dropped off the eight passengers at the correct location; they were able to take the maiden voyage with us.

I Rode on Amtrak's Inaugural Berkshire Flyer Route—Here's What It Was Likehttps://t.co/jETjG6kXo2 pic.twitter.com/Q27rn04ZVV

— TripSavvy (@TripSavvy) July 12, 2022

Terminal del Tren de Pittsfield
No matter how comfy the seats were, a train travel of that length causes passengers to feel weary and sore by the time they arrive in Pittsfield. Our arrival in Pittsfield was met with a collective sigh of relief from the passengers. Applause could be heard coming from the direction of the parking lot as I carefully began to unload the contents of my car. We had gathered a crowd of inhabitants of Pittsfield who were interested in the new rail line. Included in this crowd were local reporters and representatives from the city.

Photographs were taken in front of the stunning new mural painted by Jesse Tobin McCauley, which included a vibrant colour palette. I had the good fortune to have a conversation with Jesse about her work, which she described as a "deconstructed replica of the Berkshire Flyer emblem" that is, however, a great deal more colourful. It extends a warm greeting to anybody travelling through Pittsfield and encapsulates, in a nutshell, the kind of artwork that can be found all across the city, which ranges from breathtaking paintings to astonishingly ornately decorated electrical boxes.

In the event that you require transportation upon arrival, Pittsfield provides a number of options, including the possibility to rent a vehicle or to take a taxi. On the Berkshire Flyer website, a listing of the available car rental and taxi services may be found.

Pricing
There are two different categories of seats available on the new Berkshire Flyer: coach and business class.

The price of a single coach ticket for one direction on this new train can be as low as $45, depending on the capacity of the train and when the ticket is booked. It is important to keep in mind that there is no way to guarantee that you will pay the same amount for the train travel back, and the later in the day that you reserve your ticket, the higher the price will be. The price of a one-way ticket in business class can start at roughly $120, and passengers will receive additional legroom, broader seats, and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages with their purchase.

Overall Experience
Those of us who do not own cars and live in New York City have a wonderful new escape option in the form of the route to Pittsfield. Every type of traveller will enjoy their time in Pittsfield, from those who are interested in the performing arts to those who have a passion for gastronomy, and in particular those who are looking to spend some time in the great outdoors.

During the first press conference, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents New York's 10th district, stated that there are nearly 600,000 households in Manhattan that do not own a car. "My household is one of them," he remarked. "The introduction of this new train service will make it possible for thousands of New Yorkers to take advantage of affordable travel options that were previously unavailable to them. Both New York City's and the Berkshires' economies will benefit as a result of this development."

Amtrak's expansion plans for the next four years include adding more routes, and this one is only the beginning. A statement made by Congressman Nadler indicated that he was "glad to endorse" Amtrak's 15-year strategy for enhancing transportation across America. According to this vision, Amtrak would upgrade 25 existing routes, introduce 39 new routes, and offer service to nearly 160 new communities.

In spite of the four-hour travel and the limited service that the route currently provides, I have a strong suspicion that whenever the route expands, it will become a popular option for New Yorkers who are searching for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.