Connecticut will get millions of dollars in federal grants for rail service and infrastructure improvements statewide.
The series of grants is part of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The award comes from the Federal Railroad Administration and will be distributed for several projects across the state.
Connecticut will get about $11.6 million in federal funding to modernize infrastructure across the state and extend service along the CTrail Hartford Line. The federal grant will be matched by about $13.4 million in state funds from the CT Department of Transportation.
Gov. Ned Lamont said this means more daily service on the Hartford Line, reconnecting New Haven and Hartford’s North End and consolidating crossings in Danbury and Norwalk. Lamont said expanding service will make travel on the rail line even more convenient.
“The Hartford Line is not only providing a valuable and convenient public transit resource for people who live in central Connecticut, but it is also helping create new opportunities for economic growth and development in the towns it serves,” Lamont said.
The $25 million project plans to increase service and reliability across the entire Hartford Line, including the rail stations in New Haven, Hartford, Windsor Locks and Springfield, Massachusetts.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the railway grant is a monumental boost for more reliable and safe service. He added that it's great news for job growth and economic progress for cities across the state.
“Not only bringing people closer together, reconnecting neighborhoods, but also creating jobs. Good jobs, careers,” Blumenthal said.
The CTrail Hartford Line was launched in 2018. According to the Governor's office, more than 750,000 passenger trips were expected in 2024, which is the highest ridership year since the service began. By 2030, the CTrail Hartford Line Expanded Enhancement Project is projected to increase ridership by about 90,000 and over 25,000 metric tons of reduced carbon emissions annually.
“It’s going to be transformative for the state over the next 10 years. A little bit of inconvenience, but by 2035, we will see an enormous difference,” Lamont said.
