Trains, Planes and Automobiles, Part 1:

Quonset Gets Ready for the Air Show!

Tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders will head to Quonset Business Park for the Rhode Island National Guard Open House and Air Show on May 20 and 21.  From sprucing up the landscaping to preparing space for free guest parking to making sure passengers on the Trains to Planes service have a smooth commute, the QDC and several of our tenant companies are hard at work preparing for the guests.

Seaview Transportation, the Park's rail provider, is responsible for all rail service into the Park. Usually limited to delivering cargo to Quonset tenants, the Seaview Railroad will become the last link in a commuter line providing service from Providence, T.F. Green, and Wickford Junction to the Park and back. This is the second year Seaview has coordinated with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation's (RIDOT), RI Air National Guard, and MBTA to support the Trains to Planes initiative.

"Our team is working hard to transform a route that normally handles cargo to a passenger line for the weekend," said Eric Moffett of Seaview Railroad. "With the help of our partners we'll be ready to handle the thousands of guests at the air show."

The Seaview team is also expanding and improving temporary passenger "platforms." The platforms will be made up of railroad ties furnished by the QDC. Loading and unloading will also be made easier for all guests thanks to T. Miozzi, Inc., a Quonset based paving company.

"Last year when we saw members of the National Guard carrying wheelchairs across the tracks we knew that we needed to help," said Tom Miozzi head of T. Miozzi, Inc. "My team will be paving a walkway for mobility impaired passengers from the train ramp, across the tracks and onto the airfield."

For more information on the air show and the Trains to Planes program, click here.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has announced that it is doubling service to this year's Rhode Island National Guard Open House and Air Show. This year there will be six roundtrips from Providence and T.F. Green stations, and Wickford Junction Station for the first time.

Last year's debut service saw approximately 1,400 people board the train on the first day of the show and nearly 2,400 board the second day.

The Seaview Railroad typically only carries automobiles or cargo loads used by tenants of the Quonset Business Park. Today there are more than 200 companies and nearly 11,000 employees at the Park, while Quonset's Port of Davisville is one of the Top Ten auto importers in North America.

"We are excited to once again work with RIDOT, Seaview Transportation, the Rhode Island Air National Guard, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, and MBTA to continue the Trains to Planes program," said Steven J. King, Managing Director of the QDC.   "We're pleased to be able to highlight the tremendous growth at Quonset.  This program will allow the community to see the first-class rail service that supports our tenants," he added.

Trains to Planes was orchestrated across several state agencies including the Quonset Development Corporation, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the R.I. National Guard, the National Guard Association of Rhode Island, and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC). Seaview Transportation, Amtrak and the MBTA were also instrumental in the program's success.

To see the schedule for this year's Trains to Planes service and to learn more, click here.