Skip to Content
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Log In
Regional Transit Authorities

PVTA to Debut Northampton-Springfield Express Route With Electric Buses

A black bus with the words "ELECTRIC BUS" on its side parks in a parking lot under a white charger, which is supported by a large steel mast arm that's cantilevered over the bus. In the background are some city buildings.

A PVTA electric bus on the Holyoke-Springfield P21E route recharges at Springfield Union Station in this August 2018 photo. Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Pi.1415926535, licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 license.

The Pioneer Valley will get a new express bus connecting Northampton, the Holyoke Mall, and downtown Springfield this summer.

The the Pioneer Valley Transity Authority (PVTA) recently received a $487,000 grant from MassDOT to pilot a new Northampton-Holyoke-Springfield Express bus route.

The pilot would provide hourly bus service, between Northampton, the Holyoke Mall, and Union Station in downtown Springfield, bewteen 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Buses between Holyoke Mall and Union Station would run every 30 minutes.

A similar bus trip between Northampton and Springfield is possible today, but it requires a transfer in downtown Holyoke, and takes at least an hour. The new express route will make the trip in about 35 minutes.

The agency also plans to use electric buses for the new service. Since 2017, the PVTA has used electric buses on its existing P21E route, an express between Springfield Union Station and downtown Holyoke, with a charging station at the PVTA's Springfield Union Station bus terminal (pictured above).

The new Northampton-Holyoke-Springfield Express is expected to start running this July.

In addition to the PVTA grant, MassDOT also announced grant funding for ten other initiatives at the state's other regional transit authorities (RTAs).

    • Brockton Area Transit won $10,000 to continue funding lower-cost commuter rail passes between Brockton and Boston, plus $319,750 to sustain its expanded service to Stoughton;
    • Berkshire RTA and Southeastern RTA (in Fall River-New Bedford) each won grants to sustain evening bus service on several routes;
    • Franklin RTA, GATRA (serving the Taunton-Attleboro region), MetroWest RTA (in Framingham and Natick), and Worcester RTA all won grants to continue or expand their existing pilots of on-demand "microtransit" services.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Massachusetts

Photos: Bike to Work Day 2025

Hundreds of commuters – and quite a few people who joined the ride just for fun – joined convoys from all around the region to converge at City Hall Plaza before the workday began Friday morning.

May 16, 2025

Chamber of Commerce Lobbies Mass. Senate to Fund the MBTA

"Even the significant resources proposed by the Governor are below the MBTA’s actual need," says Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president James Rooney.

May 15, 2025

Western Mass. Amtrak Expansions Are Flush With Funding, But New Routes Won’t Debut ‘Til 2030s

Years of work remain before new Amtrak routes start rolling through Springfield to connect Boston, Albany, and New Haven.

May 14, 2025

SUV Driver Kills Priest on Route 138 in Milton

A 2018 study warned of "poor safety conditions" on the state roadway where a driver killed Father James B. Doran last week.

May 12, 2025
See all posts