A NEW high-speed Amtrak rail service linking Boston with New York begins in the autumn. Trains will be capable of speeds of 150 miles per hour, reducing the current journey from 4hrs 15mins to 2hrs 45mins.
Within Massachusetts, a rail service has been introduced between Boston and Plymouth, allowing visitors to take several day trips to historical sites, towns and parks by train. Destinations include Quincy, Providence, Worcester, Concord, Lowell, and Salem, as well as Plymouth where a bus transfer is available to Plymouth Centre.
Also resuming this autumn is an Amtrak Boston-Portland, Maine rail service. The 2hrs 30mins journey will be operated four times daily on a round-trip basis.
Visitors wanting to visit Salem from Boston can now also take a new high-speed ferry service during the summer months. This gives them time to visit the Salem Witch Museum, The House of Seven Gables, The Peabody-Essex Museum and downtown Salem. The catamaran makes the journey in under 1hr, six times a day.
Another new catamaran operation links Hyannis on Cape Cod with the island of Nantucket, shortening the conventional ferry crossing from 2hrs 30mins to 1hr, four times daily.
For shoppers, Worcester Common Outlets discount complex now offers a free shuttle bus service on Saturdays from downtown Boston hotels including The Tremont House, Boston Park Plaza, Radisson, Copley Square hotel and the Sheraton Boston. The outlets are located in downtown Worcester and include four department stores and 90 speciality /designer shops.
Gambling and showtime entertainment at Foxwoods Resort Casino are now more accessible with a new year-round daily scheduled coach service from five locations in the Boston area. The journey takes 2hrs 30mins each way.
For those who want hire-car independence, Hertz is offering a navigational system on its Boston-based rental fleet, with easy-to-follow directions to virtually any location via a colour video screen and voice commands.
The city’s gateway airport, Logan International, which can be reached by road, subway train and water taxi from the downtown area, is undergoing major modernisation and expansion.
A revamped Terminal E will allow 2,000 passengers an hour to be processed through customs and immigration. There will also be enlarged baggage and customer service areas, elevated walkways between terminals and construction of a $110m airport roadway system featuring separate levels for arrival and departure traffic.