by Jamil Ragland CTNewsJunkie
With ridership surpassing pre-pandemic peaks on some of Connecticut’s rail lines, the state is set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government to make further investments in the state’s rail system.
The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding Connecticut about $291 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for five railroad improvement projects across the state, Gov. Ned Lamont and the Connecticut congressional delegation announced last week.
The grants are funded through the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program. They are being awarded to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) and Amtrak.
The federal money is being matched by $120 million in state funds and $11.7 from Amtrak, according to a release from the governor’s office.
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was overwhelmingly approved by Congress to modernize our nation’s infrastructure and strengthen our transportation system, including railways,” Lamont said. “The projects these grants are funding will help pull Connecticut’s rail system into a new era and boost reliability while supporting the economic growth of our state. We thank the Biden-Harris administration for delivering this investment for Connecticut and supporting our region’s rail system.”
The projects come at a time when the state is seeing increased ridership on trains. While train ridership dipped significantly during the pandemic due to stay-at-home orders and people working remotely, most rail lines have recovered to at least pre-pandemic levels of ridership. Some have even surpassed pre-pandemic levels, officials said.
More than 138,000 people rode Metro North’s Waterbury Branch Line during the first half of 2024, a 14% increase over pre-pandemic levels. That success was undermined, though, by the major flooding that struck parts of Connecticut in August, washing away more than 200 feet of the Waterbury line’s track. The line serves eight stations between Waterbury and Bridgeport.
CT Rail’s Hartford Line, which runs between Springfield and New Haven, also saw growth in the final two months of 2023. November 2023 set a single-month record with 77,362 trips, the most of any month since the line began service in 2018, according to the DOT. December 2023 had the second most, with 75,380 trips. DOT officials said the line is on track for a record-breaking year in 2024, although official figures have not been released yet.
The money will be split between five different projects to modernize and improve Connecticut’s rail systems:
- $172 million for Track Improvement and Mobility Enhancement: The project is for construction activities supporting the installation of 88 catenary structures, the addition of four new crossovers, and the replacement of the Longbrook Avenue Roadway bridge along a 3-mile segment of New Haven Line Main Line, which passes through Bridgeport, Stratford, and Milford.
- $102 million for Hartford Line Rail Program Double Track Project: The project is for the construction of track improvements along 6.7 miles of existing track in West Hartford, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. The improvements will establish a double track along this corridor to provide more frequent passenger service to Hartford and Springfield. Other improvements include track upgrades and installation, signal upgrades, and gate and road crossing upgrades.
- $8 million for the Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project: This funding will be used for a planning-level study for the replacement of the 117-year-old Connecticut River Bridge on the Amtrak-owned New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor in Windsor Locks.
- $6.4 million for Cos Cob Bridge Replacement Study: The project is for planning activities to determine the best course of action in replacing the 120-year-old, movable Cos Cob Bridge over the Mianus River in Greenwich.
- $2.56 million for Hartford Station Relocation Project: The project is for planning construction of a new Hartford train station and multimodal hub with associated realignment and double-tracking of 2.1 miles of the Hartford Line in Hartford.
Officials from both sides of the aisle praised the investment as a critical investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure.
Sen. Tony Hwang, a Fairfield Republican and ranking member on the Transportation Committee, called the projects key upgrades that are investments in the state’s rail future.
“This focus on our rail infrastructure is good news for our job creators and our workforce, and it will also boost rail safety, reliability, and efficiency,” Hwang said. “The goal is to improve the quality of life in our state by making mass transit more convenient and accessible. Doing so will reduce congestion on our roads and further the effort to improve our air quality. I thank our federal government partners and our federal Congressional delegation for their attention to these crucial transportation projects.”
US Sen. Richard Blumenthal called it an “historic” investment that will pave the way for a transportation transformation.
“The replacement of aging bridges on rail lines and track improvements will provide Connecticut commuters with more options, consistent services, and reduced travel times, all while promoting the use of passenger rail,” Blumenthal said. “I will continue fighting to deliver crucial infrastructure investments to Connecticut.”
“Investments in public transit create jobs, reduce pollution from cars, and create connections between our communities,” she said. “The funding announced today will allow people to travel throughout Connecticut more easily and affordably. I am grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for their continued focus on expanding public transit in Connecticut.”