Train Time: The Podcast

Transit authorities like CTDOT often justify service cuts because they think nobody is paying attention. Let’s prove them wrong. On April 22nd, we’re heading to the public meeting to share our thoughts on CTDOT’s draft Connecticut 2055 plan. We want to show them thousands of signatures that say loud and clear, “We the people want more trains!”Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Josh Elliott is running for governor of Connecticut in the Democratic primary in August and joins us to talk about public transportation and the role trains play (and could play) in Connecticut, as well as to ask about the transit policies he would prioritize as governor. Elliott has a lot to say about Connecticut finances, based on his experience as Deputy Speaker and Majority Caucus Co-Chair and as a member of the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee, the Public Health Committee, and the Judiciary Committee. We also discuss the importance of governors in supporting rail restoration. Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Matt and Karen explain the bad news about the Change.org petition, but there's good news, too, and a new plan for action! Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

North Canaan officials have long been strong supporters of the Housatonic Line revival. Going back some years, former Rep Roberta Willis (D) filed a bill regarding the line. Later, Brian Ohler (R) expressed support. The Train Campaign met with Maria Horn (D), the current state rep, and held joint meetings with rail advocates in the town, who themselves had created a first online petition that garnered thousands of signatures. Letter to the Editor Jan 29, 2014I am thrilled that Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty spoke during an interview on WNPR’s “Where We Live” (Jan. 7) about restoring passenger train service to northwest Connecticut.In three years, she said, we could have passenger trains running from Danbury to the Massachusetts border for the first time since 1971.Our congresswoman is trying to green our transportation system and encourage Hartford and Washington to give a little boost to the forgotten corner of Connecticut. She needs our support.There are so many reasons to return passenger train service to our area. Passenger rail would reduce pollution in our air by decreasing the number of cars on the road, expand our transportation network without any road construction, and bring new customers into our shops by boosting tourism in Litchfield and Fairfield Counties.For those of us in the Housatonic River Valley who take the train to New York City, the new train stops in Danbury, New Milford, Kent, Cornwall Bridge and Canaan would mean shorter drives to the train station. People without cars could use the train to get to work in a different town.Please join more than 2,200 people and 100 businesses by signing a petition in favor of passenger train service. Our elected officials need to know that we want our train back.Stephen Sherman, Falls VillageAnd here’s how that petition started:Tell Gov Malloy To Reinstate Passenger Railway Service To Northwest ConnecticutThe northwest corner is in dire need of passenger railway service. The bones of this project already exist and are shovel-ready. Passenger service would create a direct route to New York City and give people access to the Litchfield Hills and the Berkshires to enjoy the local attractions. This would also boost our local economy, create jobs, and promote tourism.Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Connecticut is keyCanaan is a key connecting point, and signs saying “RESTORE OUR RAILWAY!” were early inspiration for the Train Campaign. In 2015, as the Berkshire Edge put it, “100 brave Arctic chill to call for return of commuter rail service.”Then came further delays—”Connecticut may derail hopes for restoring Berkshires-to-Grand Central passenger rail service”—and the pandemic. When we were able to meet again in person, in 2021, the Train Campaign hosted a meet-and-greet during Railroad Days in Canaan, CT. Speakers included MA Rep Smitty Pignatelli, Canaan Selectman Christian Allyn, and bestselling author Simon Winchester. You can watch and listen to Christian Allyn’s speech at the link above. A Canaan native, he explains his fears and hopes for the town, an eloquent plea for the restoration of train service from New York to Canaan and on to the Berkshires. And here’s Simon Winchester from the same event.CreditsOur aerial footage comes from Paul Chesloff of Berkshire Skyview, and music from Two-bit Cowboys. Matt Silber wrote the new petition, which includes the Maybrook Line.Thanks for reading Train Time! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

In this show, Dave Strohmaier and Karen Christensen pick up a conversation after nearly 5 years—years during which Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) has really been making tracks. In 2023, the BSPRA was selected by the Federal Railroad Administration for further development and study, with a grant of $500,000 in seed money to help kick-start the North Coast Hiawatha route revitalization between Chicago and Seattle/Portland and connecting communities like Fargo, Bismarck, Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula. ShareDave explains how he and his colleagues have found ways to use existing legislation and cultivate relationships, in spite of political differences and over huge geographical area. As he brings us up to date with progress and plans for Big Sky Rail, he also shares advice that will be useful to officials and rail advocates in the Northeast and across the United States. Show Notes2023: “Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is chosen for the Federal Corridor ID and Development Program”2025: Big Sky Passenger Rail Annual Conference - this is worth checking out just for the main photo!David Strohmaier is a Missoula County Commissioner and Chairman at Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. We first spoke to him in February 2021 and you can listen to that podcast on Spotify at this link.Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship. Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

While you might think passenger rail, as public transportation, would be the province of Democrats, there are many Republican backers of rail projects. There are also rail initiatives that depend on people from both parties to work together. Today’s tri-state conversation brings together train-pilled colleagues Matt Silber (CT), Ellis Simon (NY), and Karen Christensen (MA) to talk about projects elsewhere in the United States and the lessons we might learn from them. There’s optimism here about one way to bridge political divides.Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Karen Christensen shares stories about her train travel in Europe and Asia to explain how the Train Campaign and Train Time came to be—and survive, even into these tough times for public transportation. Train compartments in France, the cleanliness of Japanese high-speed trains, and the ease of train travel in the UK all get a mention. Most recently, Karen took Chinese high-speed trains between Yangzhou and Hangzhou and Shanghai. This podcast follows from one in which Karen asks Matt Silber about his travels around New England during the summer of 2025. In turn, this was his chance to ask her about what she experienced when traveling by train outside the US—most recently in China in June 2025.Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

History teacher Matt Silber took advantage of summer vacation to find out whether it’s possible to have an enjoyable, affordable trip around New England just for fun—not commuting to work but to visit friends and explore new places. As he says in this detailed post, he set out to visit multiple friends throughout the Northeast using public transportation. As he went, he took detailed notes, talked to other travelers, and even rated the different train lines he used. You can read all this and watch the video he made, too. In this podcast conversation for Train Time, he takes us through highlights and reflects on what he learned. Show Notes"Transit Oriented Travel" at Matt's SubstackTrain Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Matt Silber takes center stage in this podcast, explaining the strange trajectory of a piece of Connecticut legislation, HB5002. Karen Christense jumps in with criticism of the messaging, and they discuss details of the CT bill, factions and debates around it, and make comparisons to other legislation in MA and NY as well as across the country. Matt’s written a lot about HB5022 for the CT Mirror:“CT HB 5002 is a bitter pill, but good medicine” – June 5, 2025“Parking minimums: A symbol of hubris and decline” - June 23, 2025 And after Governor Lamont's veto:“HB 5002’s veto: CT’s act of self-sabotage” - June 24, 2025SHOW NOTES"H.B. No. 5002: An act concerning housing and the needs of homeless persons. “To lower housing costs, increase housing options and better support homeless persons.” C G A - Connecticut General Assembly"Gov. Healey signs $5.16 billion housing bond bill - Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA)Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Make Housing More Affordable and Accessible as Part of the FY 2026 Budget | Homes and Community RenewalA New Rail Line May Come to New York. Will a Housing Boom Follow? - The New York TimesGovernor Newsom signs into law groundbreaking reforms to build more housing, boost affordability | Governor of CaliforniaTrain Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

As Karen Christensen prepares to head to China - first speaking about how civilizations learn from one another, and then exploring third places in Shanghai - she and Matt Silber discuss the social life of public transit. They draw from experiences in different countries and times, and explore how train travel is both a chance to interact with strangers and, sometimes, a way to develop the warm bonds with regular acquaintances that typify a third place.Read more about third places at The Great Good Place. Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Karen and Matt talk about the new book Abundance and what it says about high-speed trains. The focus at Train Time is, naturally, how the book covers US passenger rail expansion in general and relates to our region in particular. Karen compares the US to China, where she will be traveling by train again soon, and asks why the California high-speed project has so clearly gone off track. Matt shares stories about travel in the Northeast and how a fresh take on regulation is in order, and they compare notes on the social benefits of traveling by public transit.They also ask if the focus today be high-speed rail, given the costs and other barriers. China has far more high-speed rail, but the US has nearly twice as much operating rail track. Would it make sense to devote taxpayer dollars to putting passenger rail onto those existing tracks? Listen to learn more.Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Matt Silber is a history teacher who’s been writing for Train Time recently. In this podcast, he and Karen Christensen talk about past and current efforts to restore passenger train service to our region, the benefits of train travel, and some of the misconceptions and worries they’ve heard about. This is an introduction to what we hope to be a new series of conversations about trains, public transit, and even the fascinating subject of zoning! Train Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Today we’re talking with Gareth Dennis, author of How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the Essential Brilliance of the Iron Road in which he builds a case not simply for railways as a common good, but argues that railways are a critical tool for humanity to survive and thrive. We discuss technology, critical minerals, electrification, freight-passenger rail cooperation, manufacturing transitions, and loneliness, too.Show NotesBuy the book: How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the Essential Brilliance of the Iron Road#Railnatter | Episode 244: Ten Of The Most Pointless US Regional Flights That Should Be TrainsTrain Time is a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship. Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

This show explains that the potential for a battery-powered electric train service from Canaan, CT to Pittsfield, MA via Sheffield, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee, and Lenox (stops to be determined) and running every day of the year. This service would give people a chance to experience riding the train again, and serve as a stepping stone to full restoration of the Berkshire Line between Pittsfield and New York City. Canaan is just a couple miles south of the state line, and is a historic rail hub. Pittsfield already has Amtrak service to Boston and Chicago.Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Karen Christensen loves trains but is no fan of the transportation bureaucracy, in Massachusetts or in the US as a whole. In this show, she runs through a list of examples of waste and bloat, and highlights a sensible, economical proposal that never saw the light of day. How many proposals of that sort get squashed because they aren’t business as usual? Listen and comment!Show NotesThese organizations, reports, and press articles are mentioned in the podcast, or simply recommended:* “The Most Expensive Mile of Subway Track on Earth” - New York Times gift link* TransitCosts at NYU * North-South Rail Link news in Commonwealth Beacon* “CT to build train station in Enfield, using nearly $32 million” - CTInsider* Palmer Rail Stop * East-West Rail in Massachusetts - Trains in the Valley* Comments on MassDOT study - TransitMatters* Northern Tier Report Train Time a media project focused on passenger rail’s potential for making the world a better place. Please support us with a paid subscription or sponsorship.And how about another podcast? RailNatter is hosted in the UK but talking about trains (and planes) in the US: “Ten Of The Most Pointless US Regional Flights That Should Be Trains.” This reflects the aim of policy makers in Europe, and is one of the arguments for California high-speed rail, a subject we will be talking about in future shows. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

This talk by world-renowned author Simon Winchester was part of an event in Canaan, Connecticut a couple years ago. Simon’s recounting of his travels by train, which include a trip from London to Hong Kong via Moscow, enchanted the audience that summer’s day. When we found we could create a podcast from the recording, we thought it would be an inspiring way to start a new venture, Train Time.More about Simon WinchesterThe Train Campaign Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe

Get a look at our conversations with Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts 2007-2015, Eric Lesser, Massachusetts State Senator, and Richard Neal, US Congressman, Massachusetts 1st District in this short preview from our work in progress. Donate at https://donorbox.org/train-campaign-film to help us qualify for a $5,000 matching grant from the Berkshire Film & Media Collaborative (www.berkshirefilm.com). Interested in sponsorship or becoming an associate producer? Contact Karen Christensen: [email protected]. The Train Campaign is a project of the Barrington Institute, Inc. (EIN 20-1670260) and donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law. Donate here: https://donorbox.org/train-campaign-film. General information at https://www.traincampaign. Get full access to Train Time at traintime.substack.com/subscribe