Southern New England Trunkline Trail

The Massachusetts Bikeways page at the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition Web Site seems to have the best list of the Rail-trails and other bike paths and bike routes in the State. That Web Page in turn seems to provide links to whatever other information is available on the Web about this Rail-trail. What follows must be understood as a Supplement to the information that is currently available at the Massachusetts Bikeways Page!

Airline Trail

MA State Line to Putnam CT - Gravel & Ballast

Putnam to Willimantic CT - Gravel & Ballast

Willimantic to Cobalt CT - Gravel & Ballast

Historic Railroad Mileage Charts

Norfolk County RR 

Southbridge & Blackstone RR

Relevant books

A 5 mile section of the Airline Trail in East Hampton (Bull Hill Rd to Smith St) is described in section 1 of  the Official Rails-to-Trails Conservancy New England Guidebook by Cynthia Mascott published in 2000 by Globe Pequot Press. This trail listing contains a photograph, historical description, trail head directions and parking, a trail map, trail details, a local trail manager contact, and much more. Section A of this book contains limited information about the 26 mile section of trail between Windham (Willimantic) and Putnam.

A 7.3 mile section of the Airline South State Park Trail between East Hampton  and Marlborough is described in Great Rail Trails of the Northeast by Craig Della Penna. The information includes a historical background of the trail as well as a detailed description keyed to bicycle odometer readings from the author's in person trip down the trail. This book is out-of-print, but many bookstores still have copies for sale.

East Coast Greenway

The Putnam to Willimantic section of this Rail-trail will be part of the East Coast Greenway, a multi-use trail that is planned from Maine to Florida. The East Coast Greenway has recently been selected as one of 15 trails for designation as a Millenium Trail, which should be very helpful in focusing public attention on all of the component trail projects.

Status Report to ECGA (2001 State of the Trail Report)

• Air Line Trail

• Endpoints: Putnam to Willimantic

• Miles: 24

• Landscape: rural

• lurisdiction: CT DEP

• Status: designated (class B)

• Condition bridges need redecking

• Next step: redeck bridges, install signage

• Funding allocated: n/a

• Contact: Leslie Lewis, CT Greenways Commission, 860-424-3578

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority serves neighboring Woonsocket with service to Pawtucket and Providence. All city busses have bike racks on a seasonal basis! Note that MBTA Commuter Rail (Attleboro line) is available at Providence Union Station on Weekdays only, and daily at South Attleboro Station (0.4 mile from the Route 77 bus stop at Newport & Benefit).  Bicycles are accommodated on commuter trains except for weekday rush-direction trips (indicated in timetable with gray columns). Note also that Amtrak Twilight Shoreliner (New York City, Washington DC  & Newport News VA) stops at Providence Union Station on a daily basis. This train has bike racks and also handles bikes in boxes as baggage. Other Amtrak trains accept folding bicycles only!  

Worcester RTA - #42 (Webster) terminates at the Dunkin Donuts on Route 12 in Webster on Weekdays and Saturdays. This bus operates to the transfer point in downtown Worcester where a connecting bus is available to Union Station. All WRTA busses have Bike Racks!

Northeast Connecticut Transit District (Map) provides rural public transportation in Brooklyn, Killingly, Putnam, and Thompson on weekdays only. For more information please call: 860-774-3902. Bicycles are presumably not accommodated on this bus!

Windham Region Transit District

• Weekday city bus service Storrs-Willimantic with Saturday service when University is in session. (Bike racks on all busses!)

• Weekday  & Saturday city bus service within Willimantic. (Bike racks on some busses!)

• Daily commuter bus service along Route 32 between Willimantic, Norwich, and Foxwoods Resort. (Potential users must inquire about bicycles!) Connections at Norwich to South East Area Transit (SEAT) service to the Amtrak - Shore Line East train station at New London.

Bonanza Bus (Hartford-Providence) stops in Willimantic at Bev's News Stand, 790 Main St. on a daily basis. 

Arrow Line operates a commuter bus service from Willimantic to Hartford Weekday rush hour only. (Potential users must inquire about bicycles!

Middletown Transit District Route F (Portland - East Hampton) offers local and express bus service to the Portland & East Hampton end of the trail on weekdays only on nearby Route 16 and 66 from Portland through Cobalt (Route 151) to the Main Street Crossing in East Hampton. CT Transit - Hartford Route M (Middletown) offers a connecting city bus service from the Middletown Bus Terminal to Hartford on weekdays only. (Potential users must inquire about bicycles on both busses!) 

Greyhound & Peter Pan Bus Lines stops at the Middletown Bus Terminal on a daily basis. 

Amtrak Vermonter (Washington DC, New York City, Springfield  & Vermont) stops at Hartford Union Station on a daily basis. This train has bike racks and also handles bikes in boxes as baggage! Other Amtrak trains provide daily service to intermediate stations between Springfield and New Haven, as well as a daily train to Worcester & Boston (Folding Bicycles only!). Connecting service at New Haven include daily Amtrak Northeast Corridor Service to Boston, New York City, & Washington DC, daily Metro-North Railroad commuter train service to New York City and intermediate stops, and weekday rush Shore Line East trains to New London and intermediate stops.

Greyhound & Peter Pan Bus Lines stops at the intercity bus station near Hartford Union Station on a daily basis.