Pre-Thanksgiving Chaos: Springfield Bound on Busiest Travel Day of the Year

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Springfield Union Station saw more than 65,000 passengers passing through, including college students returning home like Grace Gustafson and Mariya Prutyanova. Grace, a sophomore at Hofstra University, had a smooth journey from Long Island to Springfield despite accidentally boarding an earlier train than planned. Mariya, a student from Kazakhstan at Smith College, was excited to spend her first Thanksgiving with a friend’s family in Connecticut. AAA projected a record 79.9 million travelers would travel over the holiday weekend, and Union Station was prepared for the influx, with additional bus trips added by Peter Pan Bus Lines to accommodate the increased demand. The station, a century-old landmark, was decorated for the holiday season, with a Christmas tree and model train on display. With more passengers traveling each year since COVID, the station is an important transportation hub for those looking to reunite with loved ones during the holidays.

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