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Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy thanked by Springfield officials for bringing CTrail to Union Station

MASSLIVE (December 27, 2018) — The $103 million renovation of Springfield’s Union Station, which reopened 18 months ago, might not be as big a deal for the city without the additional CTrail trains that have been coming in.

And its for those trains — CTRail’s Hartford Line Service between Springfield, Hartford and New Haven with connections to New York City via Metro-North — that the city thanked outgoing Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on Thursday.

“It was his courage,” said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, who rode the Hartford Line north Thursday with Malloy, a Democrat who leaves office next week after eight years as governor, and U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Hartford.

They were met by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and his staff.

“There were some in my state who advocated for that,” he said. “But it didn’t make very much sense. By extending rail this far, we knew we could make more connections, connections with Boston and Worcester for instance, in the future.”

There are now 24 daily weekday trips between Hartford and Springfield, including a new one added in November. Weekend service also was enhanced.

MORE: http://bit.ly/us-rail2

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Westfield Bank ATM installed at Springfield’s Union Station

WWLP 22News (December 14, 2018) – Every week, people passing through Springfield’s Union Station inquire about the availability of an ATM.

On Friday, Congressman Richard Neal and Mayor Domenic Sarno helped cut the ribbon for the Westfield Bank ATM in the Union Station concourse.

Congressman Neal told 22News, the future looks bright for an increased passenger flow through Union Station.

“There are sixteen more trains a day between New Haven and Hartford and 12 between Hartford and Springfield,” said Neal. “So I think the north-south part of the equation is working, now it’s on to east-west.”

Neal’s anticipating the next Union Station improvement; an Amtrak ticket booth which will be relocated from a less visible side of the station in a few weeks.

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Union Station Holiday Travelers Serenaded by Christmas Carolers

On December 22, holiday travelers at Union Station will be greeted by Christmas Carolers from the West Mass Brass ensemble. The public is also invited.

Caroling begins at 2 p.m. and runs to 4 p.m.

The ensemble is part of the Western Mass Brass Band, a volunteer brass band in the British tradition. The band’s mission includes providing challenging music for the band members within the structure of a traditional British brass band, and to share the unique brass band sound with communities in and around Western Massachusetts.

The band members come together from several walks of life including professional musicians, amateur musicians, music teachers, engineers, and more.

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