Amtrak and Vermont Governor Howard Dean recently reached an agreement to save rail service in the state, at least for this year, meaning students will still be able to take trains to and from White River Junction, Vt.
Amtrak will replace The Montrealer line, which ran from Washington, D.C., to Montreal with a stop in White River Junction, with The Vermonter on April 2, Amtrak said.
Under the terms of the one-year compromise, Vermont will pay Amtrak $581,000 for the cost of the service, with a guarantee of an additional $169,000 if the number of passengers does not reach set levels, according to a press release.
"Retention of passenger rail service has been our principle objective," Dean said in the release. "I expect The Vermonter will be greeted with the same affection as the night train."
But the future of rail services in Vermont after April 2, 1996, when The Vermonter is scheduled to be terminated, is still uncertain, said Stephanie Carter, a spokeswoman for the governor.
The new train line will be a daytime route from Washington, D.C., to St. Albans, Vt., where riders can catch a connecting bus into Montreal.
Before this deal was struck, The Montrealer was scheduled to be eliminated as part of planned nationwide cutbacks by Amtrak, ending all rail service to Vermont.
Hanover Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Clint Bean said Vermont has bought itself more time with the compromise.
"I am glad they have found a temporary solution, and I hope that in the future a more permanent solution can be found," Bean said. "The service is important to the community."
Bean said the upcoming year will be an important test for rail ridership in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Cary Clark, the College's director of external relations, said, "I am pleased that there will be continued train service in the Upper Valley."
"The loss of the service to Montreal should not affect students, administration and faculty greatly since most use the train to travel south," he said.
But he said, "there are still no guarantees regarding the continuation of rail service to the area over the long term. Hopefully the daytime schedule will increase ridership and help to ensure service in the future."
Clark also said the College will continue to remind elected officials and Amtrak of the importance of train service to Dartmouth and the surrounding region.
The Vermonter will include new stops at Claremont, Hartford, Conn., and Springfield, Mass. Overall fares for The Vermonter will be about 20 percent more than current rates.
Starting April 2, students can catch the train to St. Albans in White River Junction at 7:31 p.m. The connecting bus is scheduled to arrive in Montreal by 12:15 a.m. A round trip fare will range from $32 to $62, according to Amtrak reservations.
The train heading south leaves White River Junction at 11:32 a.m., arriving in New York City at 7:15 and Washington at 11:15 p.m. The trip to New York will cost between $74 and $124 and between $100 and $186 to Washington, D.C., according to Amtrak.