Berkshires-to-New York City train could arrive in 2019

It’s not the Red Line to Lexington or a direct link between North and South stations, but passenger rail service between New York City and the Berkshire Mountains could launch as soon as summer 2019.

That’s if officials can find the funding for it.

For now, a working group that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation formed has concluded that such a link is possible via swinging Amtrak’s current Manhattan-to-Albany route out to Pittsfield in western Mass. for one stop.

Such a stop would run for 20 warm-weather weekends and would take a break during the colder months, per the Globe’s Adam Vaccaro. The cost of those runs would itself run up to $520,000 annually, only some of which Amtrak ticket revenue would cover.

If the rest of the funding arrives, then what boosters are calling the Berkshire Flyer would resurrect what was once a popular vacation route for New Yorkers, including for skiers. That direct service stopped decades ago. Stay tuned.

• A Berkshires-NYC train service could relaunch by 2019 [Globe]
• Boston transportation projects that need to hurry up and arrive [Curbed Boston]
• Boston infrastructure: 5 big missed opportunities [Curbed Boston]