The Vermonter: My Complete Guide to Amtrak’s DC to Vermont Route

Long before the Ethan Allen Express extended to Burlington, there was the Vermonter Amtrak route: one of Amtrak’s workhorse routes connecting Washington D.C. through New York, Hartford, Springfield all the way to St. Albans, Vermont.

I’ve taken this train dozens of times. I even took it 9 hours from New York to Vermont before the Ethan Allen Express train extended to Burlington.

(If you’re looking for the best New York to Burlington train, take that one, and read my article about the Ethan Allen Express.)

These days, I mostly take it from Hartford or Springfield to the Essex Junction station, since my girlfriend’s parents live in the Hartford area.

Unlike the Ethan Allen Express, which is perfect for New York to Burlington trips, the Vermonter shines for specific route combinations: New York to Brattleboro or Central Vermont, Hartford to Vermont, or Washington D.C. to Connecticut. It’s the train that connects the Northeast Corridor with the I-91 –> I-89 route.

When You Book, Make Sure You Know Your Station

Amtrak’s website isn’t great. When you book your ticket, make sure you select the right station.

The name of the station may not be the actual town you’re going to. For example, the Vermonter doesn’t stop in Burlington (BTN), it stops in Essex Junction (ESX). Essex is close by, but if you type in “Burlington” this stop won’t come up. Or maybe it will come up, but it’ll ask you to take a ridiculous transfer that makes no sense.

Don’t accidentally select bus stations or airports with similar names.

Similarly, the “Waterbury-Stowe” stop is in Waterbury’s town center. You’ll have to drive to Stowe from there. You’ll want to type in “WAB” if you’re headed to Stowe.

If your station isn’t coming up, do a quick Google Search to find the three-letter code.

From there, booking is straightforward. It’s nice that the price they show is the full price, taxes and everything included.

I Recommend Booking Somewhere With a Real Station

Of course, this depends on where you’re leaving from. But many stations along this route are not stations. They are just platforms.

For example, I’ve made the mistake of booking the Windsor Locks station in the winter, only for the train to be delayed, and we were sitting in the cold for an hour.

Instead, we should have either gone to the Hartford or Springfield stations, which are both real stations. The Springfield station has recently been remodeled and is one of the nicest on this route. It has a Dunkin and other things too.

In Vermont, Brattleboro just opened its new station in summer 2026.

Of course, New York’s Moynihan Train Hall is great too, with ticketed waiting rooms, food, and all of that.

If you can get to one of the main city stops, especially if it’s winter, I highly recommend that.

Get The App

Once you’ve booked, get the app. It has a QR code for your ticket, and it’s where you’ll receive delay notifications, which are common for this route.

Seats and Comfort

While Amtrak is slow as hell, it’s very comfortable. You’ll have tons of legroom, big tray tables, and a decent recline.

AMPLE LEG ROOM AND WIDE SEATS

Coach seats on Amtrak aren’t assigned, so you can sit wherever you want.

If you’re getting on North of New Haven, I can almost guarantee you’ll have your own seat, unless you’re traveling around a holiday. Anywhere before that, you may not, because from New Haven to D.C is a busy route.

If you board south of Connecticut and don’t get your own seat, check once you pass New Haven.

Outlets

There are two outlets on the window seat. However, sometimes they’re spaced out weird, so check your seat beforehand if you can.

The outlets are reliable, which is a huge plus to Amtrak over flying in general.

Baggage Policy

You can basically bring as much luggage as you have. I would say if you can carry it yourself, nobody is going to ask any questions.

Technically, you’re allowed two full-size luggage bags, and there is a ton of overhead space.

Wifi: A Weakness of the Vermonter

All Amtrak wifi is a tricky discussion. From New York to DC, it’s great. That’s because Amtrak’s wifi is dependent on Verizon service. Because this train goes through many rural areas, the service, and therefore the wifi, is bad.

North of Brattleboro, expect spotty-to-nonexistent wifi service. The train travels through remote areas.

Your phone’s hotspot might work better than the train’s wifi, but even that’s unreliable in Vermont’s mountains and valleys. Plan accordingly. Or, just enjoy the views.

The Views: My Tips

The Vermonter cars will have some that face forward and some that face backward. First, you want to be facing forward. The train does not turn around anywhere like some other Amtrak routes.

Second, for the Green Mountain views, you want to board on the west side. So face forward and board west. If you’re getting on in NYC, it’s tough to have your free reign of choice, because it’s always busy between DC and about Springfield.

But, once you pass Springfield, bring the piece of paper the conductor gives you when they check your tickets with you to a seat of your choice. Unless it’s a holiday, you should have options. When you board in Vermont, you’ll have options.

Third, for fall foliage views, book from Vermont southbound. Northbound, it’s already dark by the time you hit Vermont in the winter. So take it both ways or at least southbound.

Fourth, time your cafe car stay for the Vermont portion of the route. That way you can take advantage of the views.

The Route: Slow and Often Delayed

This is where the Vermonter shows its age and route challenges. The New York to Essex Junction journey takes 8 hours and 41 minutes, over an hour longer than the Ethan Allen Express to Burlington.

The speed varies dramatically by section:

• DC to New York: Fast Northeast Corridor speeds
• New York to Hartford: Decent pace through Connecticut, but several slow parts.
• Hartford through Vermont: Significantly slower on older track

Much like the Ethan Allen Express, the Vermont portion is the slowest, using freight rail infrastructure that’s been adapted for passenger service.

Why This Route is Often Delayed

In general, there are two reasons why Amtrak has frequent delays:

1. It shares track with lots of other trains. On most of its route, including much of this route, the freight train companies own the tracks, and Amtrak pays to use them. This means if a freight train is coming, it has the right-of-way over Amtrak in many instances. Even in Connecticut, it shares tracks with Metro-North and Hartford Line trains, so there’s some passenger congestion, too.
2. Amtrak’s infrastructure is crumbling. Congress refuses to invest in repairing Amtrak’s infrastructure, whether that’s repairing key bridges between New York and D.C. or purchasing new sets of train cars to replace the ones that are half a century old and often need repairs. That’s the short of it. Like all other countries with good passenger rail, we would have to invest more in it, just as we invest heavily in highways and airport infrastructure.

Amtrak Vermonter On-Time Performance: Bad

Sadly, this route is late a lot. For example, in May, as I write this article, it arrived late into Essex Junction almost every day, with a median delay of 16 minutes and an average delay of 27 minutes. Three times in the month of May it arrived more than an hour late.

Frequency: Only 1 Train Per Day (Each Direction)

Like its sister route the Ethan Allen Express, the Vermonter runs just once daily in each direction. The train is slower on weekends, due to, I assume, scheduled maintenance.

• Northbound: Leaves Washington D.C. at 8:10am on weekdays and 7:30 am on weekends, arrives St. Albans at 8:50pm (in theory.)
• Southbound: Leaves St. Albans at 9:15am, arrives Washington D.C. at 10:12pm on weekdays and 10:31pm on weekends.

What Train Number Is the Vermonter?

The Vermonter runs as trains 54, 55, 56, and 57. Which number you get depends on direction and day of week.

• Northbound (Washington to St. Albans) is train 56 on weekdays, train 54 on weekends.
• Southbound (St. Albans to Washington) is train 55 on weekdays, train 57 on weekends.

Your ticket will show the number. It matters more than you’d think, because it’s how you look up whether your train is running late.

How I Check My Train Before I Board

Here’s the tool I use. RailRat’s tracker for train 56 (or train 55 going south).

It shows you every stop the train has already made, how many minutes late it was at each one, and where it is right now, down to its current speed and how many miles it is from the next station.

Why that’s useful on this route specifically. The Vermonter is late a lot, and the delay builds and shrinks as it goes. If I can see it left Hartford 25 minutes down, I know exactly when to leave for the platform instead of standing around. That matters enormously if your station is one of the platform-only ones with no building and nowhere to sit. Windsor Locks in February, I am still looking at you.

Amtrak’s own Track Your Train map is the official source and it’s where RailRat pulls its data. I just find RailRat easier to read on a phone, and I like seeing the full stop-by-stop history rather than a dot on a map.

Amtrak Vermonter Stops and Route

The Vermonter makes 29 stops on weekdays and 30 on weekends. The weekend extra is Metropark, New Jersey.

It runs 611 miles from Washington to St. Albans, and the route breaks into three distinct chunks. Washington to New Haven on the electrified Northeast Corridor. New Haven up to Springfield on the New Haven to Springfield line, sharing track with the Hartford Line. Then Springfield north along the Connecticut River and onto New England Central freight track through Vermont.

At New Haven they swap the electric locomotive for a diesel. It takes a few minutes and you’ll feel the train go quiet. There’s also a short backup move at Springfield, because the tracks there run east to west and the train has to curve in, back out, and switch north. Don’t panic, it’s supposed to do that.

Here’s every stop, north to south order reversed (this is the northbound sequence, train 56).

#	Station	Code	State
1	Washington Union	WAS	DC
2	New Carrollton	NCR	MD
3	BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport	BWI	MD
4	Baltimore Penn	BAL	MD
5	Wilmington	WIL	DE
6	Philadelphia 30th Street	PHL	PA
7	Trenton	TRE	NJ
—	Metropark (weekends only)	MET	NJ
8	Newark Penn	NWK	NJ
9	New York Penn (Moynihan)	NYP	NY
10	Stamford	STM	CT
11	Bridgeport	BRP	CT
12	New Haven Union	NHV	CT
13	Meriden	MDN	CT
14	Hartford	HFD	CT
15	Windsor Locks	WNL	CT
16	Springfield	SPG	MA
17	Holyoke	HLK	MA
18	Northampton	NHT	MA
19	Greenfield	GFD	MA
20	Brattleboro	BRA	VT
21	Bellows Falls	BLF	VT
22	Claremont	CLA	NH
23	Windsor-Mt. Ascutney	WNM	VT
24	White River Junction	WRJ	VT
25	Randolph	RPH	VT
26	Montpelier	MPR	VT
27	Waterbury-Stowe	WAB	VT
28	Essex Junction	ESX	VT
29	St. Albans	SAB	VT

A few things worth flagging on that list.

Essex Junction is your Burlington stop. I said it above and I’ll say it again, because people book the wrong thing constantly.

Waterbury-Stowe is in Waterbury, not Stowe. You’ll need a ride for the rest.

Windsor-Mt. Ascutney is the stop for Mt. Ascutney, which I wrote about after camping there for a weekend.

And yes, that’s a New Hampshire stop at Claremont. New Hampshire contributes nothing to funding this train. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont all pay to keep it running north of New Haven. New Hampshire gets a stop anyway. I’m not bitter about it, I just think it’s worth knowing who’s paying for what when we talk about why this country’s passenger rail looks the way it does.

You can see Amtrak’s official timetable here for the Vermonter.

Don’t miss your train. Otherwise, you’re waiting until tomorrow.

Can You Ride It All the Way From DC to Vermont?

You can. I’ll be upfront that I haven’t done the full run myself, since I almost always get on at Hartford or Springfield. But nothing stops you from riding Washington to St. Albans in one sitting, and people do it.

It’s about 12 hours and 45 minutes northbound. Leave Washington at 8:08am, get to St. Albans around 8:50pm if the train is behaving.

My main advice is to pack food. Do not plan on eating cafe car food for twelve hours. I like the cafe car, I’ve said nice things about it, and I am telling you as a friend that a full day of pre-cooked burgers is a mistake. Bring real meals. Bring more water than you think you need. Then treat the cafe car as what it’s good for, which is coffee and a change of scenery.

Amtrak Vermonter vs Other Options: When it Makes Sense

The Vermonter excels for specific route combinations. The full New York to Burlington route is better served by the Ethan Allen Express.

Who It’s Perfect For

• Connecticut to Vermont connections: New Haven or Hartford to Vermont is slow on the train, but it’s beautiful and car-free.
• Washington D.C. to New England: Better than flying or driving through one of the most congested corridors in the world.
• New York to Brattleboro: The timing is competitive with driving.
• Getting to select towns in Vermont: While the Ethan Allen Express hits Burlington and towns like Vergennes, if you’re going to a town like Windsor, VT to enjoy nature at Mt. Ascutney, Stowe, or Brattleboro, then this is the route that makes the most sense.

Amtrak Vermonter vs Northeast Regional

This is the comparison people search for most, and the answer is simpler than you’d expect.

Northeast Regional trains stop at Springfield. The Vermonter is the one that keeps going. That’s the whole difference for most travelers. If you’re headed to Brattleboro, White River Junction, Montpelier, Waterbury, Essex Junction, or St. Albans, no Northeast Regional will get you there. The Vermonter is your once-a-day train, and that’s it.

If your trip stays on the Northeast Corridor, or ends at New Haven, Hartford, or Springfield, then you’ve got both options. Here’s my honest take.

It’s the same ride. Same Amfleet cars, same seats, same legroom, same outlets, same cafe car with the same pre-cooked burgers. If the price is the same, book whichever one fits your schedule and don’t think about it any harder than that.

The one thing I’d weigh is delays. The Vermonter has had more time to accumulate them.

Northbound it starts fresh in Washington at 8:08am, so early in the day it’s usually fine. Southbound is where it gets dicey. By the time it rolls into New York, it’s been running since 9:15 that morning in St. Albans, over freight track, through single-track sections in Vermont, with plenty of chances to fall behind. A Northeast Regional that started its run a few hours earlier on the corridor simply hasn’t had the same opportunity.

So if you’re going New York to DC in the evening and the fares match, I’d take the Northeast Regional. If you’re going anywhere north of Springfield, the Vermonter isn’t the better option, it’s the only option.

Amtrak Vermonter vs Dartmouth Coach Bus

If you’re going to or from New York City and your final destination is near Dartmouth/White River Junction, then also check out the Dartmouth Coach Bus (my full review here). It has no stops, and it’s a bus, but it’s a very nice bus. It’s a $95 fixed price in 2026, so likely more expensive than the train, but probably a bit faster depending on traffic. It’s a good option to know about.

Amtrak Vermonter vs Other Amtrak Routes

We already talked about the Ethan Allen Express. If your destination is near Burlington, the Ethan Allen Express is faster and more reliable.

If you’re traveling below Greenfield, Mass, then Amtrak’s new Valley Flyer service on the Hartford Line gives you more options. That train goes between Greenfield and New Haven, so from New York you first take a Metro-North train to New Haven. I cover this in my review of The Hartford Line trains.

Timing Comparison vs Driving and Flying

When comparing the train to driving or flying, I always say that you have to factor in the full time.

If you’re thinking about flying, remember that you’ve gotta get there early enough to get through security, and the airports are usually further from city centers.

That’s why the train from D.C. to New York makes way more sense than flying. This train route will often make more sense if it’s serving a town you live near. For example, towns like Brattleboro, White River Junction, and Stowe don’t have airports anywhere near them.

As for the train time versus driving, even with traffic, north of Connecticut, this train is going to be slower. For my typical Hartford to Essex Junction trip, the train takes about 4.5 hours. Driving is roughly 3 hours without traffic, though Connecticut’s I-91 traffic can easily add another 1 to 2 hours, especially around Hartford and New Haven.

But I still prefer the train because I get the time back. I don’t have to drive. I can read, I can write, I can hang out in the cafe car.

With that said, the train is still the slow route in most cases.

Cost Comparison: Book Your Train Early

Amtrak has adopted the “dynamic pricing” model of the airlines. This means, depending on demand, prices can get expensive. This makes it important to book well in advance. Usually, my ticket from Connecticut to Vermont is less than $50, which is a good deal, a better deal than driving if you’re going alone.

But if you look last-minute, that train price can escalate to $100. This is especially true if you’re south of Springfield. I mention the Vermonter as an option to get from New York to Hartford car-free, but only if you book early.

With flying, you have to factor in the costs of getting to and from airports, which are usually farther.

Why I Take Amtrak Instead of Flying (Most of The Time)

Environmental Considerations: Amtrak Wins

Short flights are terrible for the environment, since take-off and landing use the most amount of jet fuel.

Of course, we know cars are a problem too, and the simple math of how many people a train moves compared to a car make it clearly the best environmental choice.

Yes, the route runs on diesel north of New Haven. So it’s not electric the whole way. However, the math of how many people on it makes it a win. Plus, by supporting Amtrak, we’re helping them invest in things like electrification and better service, which ultimately we need to do if we want the transportation sector to play its role in averting the worst of climate devastation.

Amtrak Vermonter vs Bus Options

There is one bus option that might make sense for you, and that’s the Darmouth Coach. This is one of my favorite bus services in the country, and it goes between NYC and Lebanon/Hanover, NH. So if your Vermonter stop is near White River Junction, read my guide on the Dartmouth Coach Bus and decide which makes the most sense for you.

The Cafe Car: Grab a Coffee or a Snack

The cafe car is one of my favorite parts of any Amtrak ride. I love going to get a coffee and maybe some of Amtrak’s mediocre but sometimes crave-worthy food, and sitting in the cafe car.

The food on the Amtrak reminds me of the food available at a minor league baseball game: pre-cooked burgers and sandwiches that may hit the spot, or may disappoint you.

In Coach Class, you can only sit in the cafe car while you eat.

If you’re in Business, you can hang out there.

Is Business Class on the Vermonter Worth It?

Amtrak has a problem with their Business Class. The coach seats are already comfy. So what are you upgrading for?

On the Vermonter, Business Class sits in the club car at the end of the train, the same car that houses the cafe. Here’s what you get for the money.

• 1×2 seating instead of 2×2. Grab the single side and nobody sits next to you for the whole trip.
• A reserved seat. In coach it’s first come, first served.
• Cafe car lounge access. In coach you’re supposed to clear out of the cafe once you’ve finished eating. In Business you can post up in the booths as long as you want, which on a twelve-hour train is worth something.
• Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages. Given that coffee is only $3.50 on this route, it’s not a huge perk, but it’s something.

Is it worth it? On most Vermonter trips, no. North of New Haven this train empties out. I’ve said elsewhere in this article that you’ll almost certainly have your own seat, and that’s the honest reason to skip it. You’re paying for elbow room you were going to get for free about two hours into the ride.

When I’d consider paying for it: Honestly, I never have, and I wouldn’t, unless you use BidUp to get it discounted or you have some other voucher for it. That’s just me.

(And if you want to know how to get Business Class for a discount, check out my article with tips for Amtrak’s BidUp system.)

Getting From Your Vermont Station to Where You’re Going

This is the part nobody warns you about, and it’s the honest weak spot of car-free travel in rural Vermont. The train is the easy half of the trip.

Essex Junction is the easy one. It serves the Burlington area, so you’ll find rideshare there without much trouble.

Everywhere else, plan ahead. Montpelier, Randolph, Bellows Falls, Windsor, Waterbury. These are small towns. There is often no Uber or Lyft idling nearby waiting on a train that shows up once a day. You can get badly stuck assuming otherwise.

So here’s what to do. Call a local private taxi service in advance and tell them you’re coming in on the train. Give them your train number and your scheduled arrival. They know the Vermonter, they know it runs late, and they’d much rather have your booking on the calendar than field a call from someone standing on a dark platform in Randolph.

This is also the best argument for the tracker I mentioned above. If you can text your driver “it’s 20 minutes down at White River Junction,” everybody’s day gets easier.

A few readers have asked whether you can do the round trip entirely by train. You can, and I do it regularly. Just remember it’s one train a day in each direction, so your return is locked to that single departure. If you miss it, you’re waiting until tomorrow.

And look, I’ll say the systemic thing, because it’s the whole reason I write this site. The last five miles are where American car-free travel breaks down. We built a country that funds the highway to the town and then nothing that moves you around once you’re there. Vermont does better than most places. It still isn’t enough, and the fix isn’t individual cleverness, it’s funding local and regional transit that meets the trains.

The Montreal Connection: Take The Adirondack

That’s my review. Now it’s time for the lore.

This train used to continue all the way to Montreal, connecting the U.S. Northeast with Canada’s second-largest city.

From 1995 to 2014, you could board in Washington D.C. and ride straight through to Montreal.

But the service ended due to a variety of factors:

• Track issues north of St. Albans. Especially on the Canadian side, where the U.S. government obviously had no jurisdiction to invest in
• The inconvenience of the border crossing. Unlike Europe’s Eurostar train, which has facilities in London and Paris that can handle passport and border control like an airport would, the U.S. and Canada have no such facilities to do these checks. That means passengers all had to get off and go through a passport check at the border. I’ve done this on a Greyhound bus, and it’s a big unnecessary delay.
• Political support: Lack of consistent funding commitment from both U.S. and Canadian governments. Like all U.S. passenger rail travel, it comes down to political will.

The route makes so much sense. Vermont’s largest county (containing Burlington) and Montreal have lots of interconnected business, touristic, and cultural relationships that lead us all to frequently cross the border. The demand is there.

For now, the only way to take a train to Montreal is to get to upstate New York first. Amtrak’s Adirondack train has daily service from NYC to Montreal. It’s on my bucket list.

Your other option is to take a Greyhound Bus from Burlington to Montreal. There are 2-3 a day. I’ve taken it. It’s fine and mostly college kids.

Recent Improvements on the Route: Slow But Steady Progress

This trip, if you can believe it or not, used to be slower.

That’s mostly thanks to the state of Connecticut, which has invested in track improvements between New Haven and Springfield. Connecticut has expanded its Springfield to New Haven commuter rail. The Vermonter runs on the same tracks.

Tell Your State to Support Rail

The next four years, the federal regime will keep trying to kill passenger rail. They’ve already attempted to withdraw funding from both Texas and California’s high-speed rail projects.

Amtrak succeeds when states invest in it. Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts all contribute funding because they recognize the economic benefits, the public service it provides, and the environmental necessity. (New Hampshire does not, which is why you’re unlikely to see a Boston to Burlington train in your lifetime.)

When Amtrak routes exist, people visit those places more. That brings money to these states’ economies. It also means that those who can’t drive or fly have another option.

For example, it means those with little kids or pets have an easier option, or those who can’t drive due to a disability or age (both young and old.)

This is exactly the type of medium-distance route where passenger rail excels: too long to drive comfortably, too short for flying to make sense, but perfect for a relaxing train ride.

Questions? Let Me Know

Drop your questions in the comments below. Whether you’re planning your first Vermonter trip or wondering about specific stations and connections, I’m happy to help based on my extensive experience with this route.

Amtrak Vermonter FAQ

Does the Vermonter have a cafe car? Yes. Every Vermonter runs with a cafe in the club car at the end of the train. Coffee, snacks, pre-cooked burgers and sandwiches. In coach you can sit there while you eat. In Business Class you can linger.

How many stops does the Vermonter make? 29 on weekdays and 30 on weekends. The weekend addition is Metropark, New Jersey.

Does the Vermonter go to Burlington? No. The closest stop is Essex Junction (ESX), a short ride from Burlington. If you’re searching “Burlington” on Amtrak’s site you may not find it, or you may get offered a strange transfer. Search ESX.

Does the Vermonter go to Montreal? Not anymore. It ran through to Montreal from 1995 to 2014. For now, the Adirondack from New York is the only Amtrak train to Montreal, or you can take a Greyhound up from Burlington.

How long does the Vermonter take? About 12 hours 45 minutes for the full Washington to St. Albans run. New York to Essex Junction is 8 hours 41 minutes. Add delays, because there usually are some.

How much does an Amtrak Vermonter ticket cost? It’s dynamic pricing, so it depends entirely on when you book. My Connecticut to Vermont ticket is usually under $50 booked in advance. Last-minute it can climb past $100, especially south of Springfield.

Does the Vermonter have wifi? Yes, and it’s poor north of Brattleboro. The wifi rides on cell service, and there isn’t much of it up there. Download what you need before Springfield.