Trains from NYC to the Berkshires will start running this summer!

New Yorkers will be able to ride the rails straight to the Berkshires this summer!

For many years, the best option for New Yorkers wanting to travel to Western Massachusetts by train was to travel to a nearby station—such as the one in Hudson—and have a very sympathetic friend or family member drive the final leg of the journey. Now, it will be possible to take a train right into the heart of the Berkshires.

Beginning service on July 8 and running though the end of the summer (and again in 2023!), the Berkshire Flyer is a new seasonal passenger rail service announced by Amtrak on Monday. It will operate on weekends during the summer months, including a Friday afternoon departure from Penn Station to Pittsfield, MA. Return trips to the city will be available on Sunday afternoons. The new service was made possible thanks to access granted to tracks owned by CSX Transportation.

“We’re appreciative of the support and cooperation of CSX for the Berkshire Flyer service, which will offer a more comfortable and convenient transportation option, that’s also more environmentally friendly, for people traveling between New York City and Berkshire County, along with easy access to musical performances at Tanglewood,” Amtrak President and Chief Executive Stephen Gardner said in the statement.

Currently, the new direct service is considered a pilot program and will be evaluated to see if it will continue past 2023. Can’t wait to book your summer trip? Tickets for the line will be available starting in May. And here are some more great ideas for the best day trips and the best weekend trips from NYC this summer.