Berkshire Hills Express

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	discontinued
Locale	Northeastern United States
First service	1919
Last service	1934
Former operator(s)	New York Central Railroad & Boston & Albany Railroad
Route
Termini	New York, New York North Adams, Massachusetts
Distance travelled	175.5 miles (282.4 km)
Service frequency	Daily (shortened on Sundays to Pittsfield)
Train number(s)	911 (southbound) 916 (northbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangements	Coach
Catering facilities	Buffet car
Observation facilities	Parlor car
Route map v t e Legend North Adams Renfrew Adams Maple Grove Cheshire Pittsfield Richmond Massachusetts New York State Line Canaan Chatham Millerton Sharon Station Dover Plains Pawling Brewster White Plains 125th Street Station New York City–Grand Central Terminal

The Berkshire Hills Express was a full-service passenger train of the New York Central Railroad that went from New York City to North Adams, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. It served as a channel for tourist travel from downstate New York, through the Taconic Mountains, to resorts and other attractions in the Berkshires and for students traveling to Williams College, 11 miles west of North Adams. The train operated from 1919 to 1934. However, it continued in unnamed form for nearly two decades longer.^[1]

Route

The train, carrying the number, #916, departing mid-afternoon, went in express fashion on the New York Central's Harlem Line, bypassing most stations between 125th Street Station and Chatham, New York. From Chatham, the train headed east on the territory of the Boston and Albany Railroad that the NYC had leased, to Pittsfield, and then headed north on the B&A's North Adams branch. The train took the name, New York Express and #911 on the southbound route to New York City. In addition to carrying coach cars it included a buffet car and parlor car as well.^[2]

Following the NYC's dropping of the Berkshire Hills Express and New York Express in 1934, the train continued as #1516 north and #5417 south. By this time a morning train took the route as well in both directions.^[3]

Demise

In 1950, the through service to North Adams was trimmed to a shuttle from Chatham to North Adams, requiring a transfer at Chatham.^[4] Passenger service between Chatham and North Adams ended in 1953.^[5]