I think the train station/and or platform in Middlebury is an open discussion and all points of view should be considered.
For those who wish for a train station and actual Amtrak service in Middlebury, it may only be a wishful dream.
As I write this I am on the Lake Shore Limited train about to arrive in Chicago soon. In the dining car I just learned from the waiter that dining service is ending on all but three Amtrak trains next month. After 25 years he is losing his job, as is the chef and many others of the train staff due to Amtrak cutbacks.
I believe instead of cutbacks we need to make an investment in rail travel here in the United States — both on a local level and a national level.
The thought of standing on an exposed concrete platform in Middlebury, in January at minus-30 degrees for a train that might be late will hardly encourage riders. And I would think adequate protection from the elements is one of the primary concerns.
And there is the hope that local companies might support the train station — I am thinking of the Waterbury station with the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters location in the station — where the train station is actually used by many not even riding the train.
David Carlson
Middlebury