History
When Amtrak's Vermonter began operating in the central and eastern portions of the state with state funds in 1995, the western side of the state pushed for train service to Rutland as well. Federal funds were secured to rebuild the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad to permit speeds up to 59 miles per hour (95 km/h). Service was initiated in December 1996. It was the first train on that route since 1953. The Rutland—Whitehall segment had not seen a passenger train since 1936.
Until May 2002, the train carried a baggage car in which passengers could bring skis and unboxed bicycles as well as checked baggage.
In October 2008, citing budgetary pressures, the Vermont Agency of Transportation proposed eliminating the train and replacing it with a bus. This was not accepted by the appropriate legislative committee.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation again proposed ending the service in January 2009. 200 people rallied at the Rutland station against the proposed cut. Rail advocates, led by the Vermont Rail Action Network and area political leaders organized to fight the cut and plans to drop the service were abandoned.
On February 23, 2011, the Vermont Agency of Transportation began an investigation into the Vermont Rail System's (VRS) handling of the Ethan Allen Express between Whitehall, New York and Rutland after Amtrak notified the state that track conditions meant the train was frequently delayed. Amtrak evaluated the line as the worst in the nation. During the summer of 2011, VRS conducted work to improve the track in question, planned to result in an eighteen minute reduction in travel time by the end of the year, with additional work planned for the summer of 2012. The project was funded by both the railroad and the state of New York at a cost of $3.25 million, and involved rebuilding about 8 miles (13 km) of track and eight grade crossings. By February 2012, the trackwork had resulted in a 15-minute southbound and 25-minute northbound reduction in travel time between Rutland and Whitehall, while the total time the Ethan Allen Express operated behind schedule fell to 135 minutes in December 2011, from 11,068 minutes a year earlier.
Read more about this topic: Ethan Allen Express
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