Connecticut DOT launches new ‘CTrail’ Hartford Line

Hartford, Ct, June 15, 2018 - Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy said, “Over time, we turned our back on rail and it hurt us. This is the day we change that.” He joined dozens of federal, state, and local officials, and Connecticut commuters to officially launch the CTrail Hartford Line for service.  The passenger rail line, which has multiple stations in Central Connecticut along the I-91 corridor connecting New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, Mass., is the first passenger rail line to open for service in Connecticut since 1990.

Former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd added that, “Projects like this don’t always happen. You talk about them. You plan them, but things intervene and get you off the tracks. But this project did happen.”

Beginning on Saturday, June 16, 2018, regular service on the line calls for 17 weekday round trips (14 on the weekends) between New Haven Union Station and Springfield Mass with intermediate stops at New Haven State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks with trains reaching speeds of 110 miles per hour.  Trains operate about every 45 minutes during the morning and evening peak periods. During the Saturday, June 16, 2018 thru Sunday June 17th, the rail line operated free of charge for all commuters with a standing room only situation for Saturday.

The CTrail Hartford Line begins regular operations on Saturday, June 16, 2018.  For the first full weekend (June 16 and 17), Full, expanded weekday service begins on Monday, June 18, with trains running approximately every 45 minutes during the morning and evening peak periods.  The expanded service will be in addition to the existing Amtrak service in the corridor, and trains will reach speeds of 110 miles per hour.

Governor Malloy added that, “With the launch of the Hartford Line, Connecticut is taking long-overdue, bold steps to invest in our future – laying the tracks for job growth, business expansion, and the revitalization of our urban areas. Investing in our transportation system is critical to drive economic growth, boost development, create jobs, and improve the overall quality of life for our residents.  If we want our state to be competitive and attract the jobs of the future, investing in our transportation system is not optional. This project will improve lives, ease congestion, reduce pollution, and enhance our overall quality of life.  It is the culmination of years of planning, regional cooperation, and strong partnerships on the local, state and federal levels. Countless people have contributed thousands of hours to this project and I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone from the workaday planners and designers at drawing boards behind the scenes to the top-ranking officials and leaders.  New transit-oriented development is already well under way along the line, and we expect hundreds of thousands of passenger trips each year, with healthy growth going forward.”

Senator Blumenthal took a dig at the cancelled Florida rail project by saying that Connecticut and its legislature were fortunate to be the winners of the Florida rail demise that Connecticut avoided and that federal leadership should take a lesson from this in that money for transportation means an economic boon for residents of the Nutmeg State that now have the first safe and speedy rail line with Positive Train Control (PTC) in the nation.

Senator Chris Dodd who worked feverishly to get a study funded 10 years ago to get federal money committed which led the way for this 62-mile line that will enhance the rebuilding of local communities and a boon in the housing markets because of the investment in rail.

Evidently, Nutmeggers are enthusiastic about the new rail line as Saturday’s free trips resulted in a standing room only situation aboard the trains.

The new CTrail Hartford Line is expected to create: millions of dollars in transit-oriented development; the lessening of 1.5 million cars from the I-91 corridor and a reduction of 100 million miles annually; over 3.5 million gallons of fuel will not be used annually; ridership is expected to reach 700,000 passenger trips each year, and; create 13,000 jobs.

A zone fare system is being used as a trip between Hartford and New Haven costs only $8.00.