Connecticut Building a New New Haven Railroad

Governor Lamont Pledges to Cut 25 minutes from New York – New Haven Schedules by 2035

A New York-bound set of Metro-North M-8 cars crossing WALK Bridge over the Norwalk River. Connecticut DOT is replacing the century-old four-track swing bridge with twin two-track lift bridges.

Metro North’s New Haven Line is the busiest railroad line in the United States. Before the pandemic, it carried 40 million riders annually – far more than Amtrak across its entire system. It is a mostly four-track electrified route that stretches 73 miles from Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan to New Haven Union Station. During each of the two four-hour rush hour windows more than 100 passenger trains – Amtrak and Shore Line East (SLE) as well as Metro North – ply its tracks.

It is a slow railroad, however. Some Metro North New Haven locals take more than two hours to make the run. While Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains are somewhat faster, they require almost as much time as they need between New Haven and Boston, which is twice the distance. The railroad is at full capacity with no room to expand to meet growing demand. Its aging and obsolete infrastructure dates from the early 20^th century.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has vowed to fix that. In 2021 he announced Time for CT, a vision for the future of passenger rail in the Nutmeg State. Central to this plan is a pledge to reduce New York – New Haven trip times by 25 minutes by 2035. Both Amtrak and Metro North would benefit from a reduction of this magnitude since it would induce more travelers to leave their cars at home. The vision also calls for new one-seat services to New York from Waterbury, Hartford, and New London, and better intrastate connectivity.

Time for CT is a comprehensive investment plan built around three core objectives: better service, upgrading infrastructure, and new trains that are faster and better than those now in use. The total cost is between $8 billion and $10 billion.

Governor Lamont points to the critical role the railroad plays in the state’s economy, carrying thousands of commuters to work, as the rationale for investment on this scale. “Aging infrastructure slows travel and it slows growth,” he says. “Nobody wants to live and work in a place where they spend hours stuck in their daily commutes. Fast trains and faster highways mean more jobs.”

In the two years since its launch Time for CT has already made an impact. In May 2022, trains of M-8 EMUs (electric multiple unit) began running on Shore Line East between New Haven and New London. The locomotive-hauled cars previously used were reassigned to the Hartford Line, which enabled CTRail to return coaches leased from MBTA.

The following month Metro North introduced three weekday peak hour “super express” round trips between New Haven and Grand Central. These trains, which stop only in Bridgeport and Stamford, save commuters 10 minutes each way. In addition, it added seven weekday trips on the Waterbury branch, a 47 percent increase in service, following installation of signaling and four controlled passing sidings.

This past June, Amtrak added a third through round trip between Springfield, MA, and Penn Station New York via the Hartford Line and Northeast Corridor. The westbound 7:50 am departure from Springfield lets passengers sleep in; the 8:50 pm return from New York gives people a full day in the Big Apple.

In August, Governor Lamont announced that CTDOT placed a $315 million order with Alston to purchase 60 new rail cars for the Danbury and Waterbury branches and the Hartford Line. The single-level, next-generation cars, which are scheduled to start arriving in 2026, will have two-by-two seating and easy access for passengers who use mobility aids. In addition, they will feature convenient overhead luggage racks, foldable workstation tables, a bicycle storage area, reliable wi-fi, real-time information displays, power outlets, and USB ports.

Siemens Mobility announced in mid-October an order placed by Metro North on behalf of CTDOT for six dual mode locomotives, which builds upon its 2020 order for 27 units. They are due on the property in 2027. The locomotives, rated at 4,200 horsepower and capable of running at 110 mph, are more powerful and faster than the motive power they will replace. They also put out much less CO₂  nitrous oxide, and particulate matter.

These improvements represent low-hanging fruit. Much more needs to be done to achieve the program’s aims, and it won’t come cheaply.

Shortly after the governor’s announcement the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) conducted a capacity and speed analysis to determine what could be done to allow trains to go faster. Following a “foot-by-foot” investigation of the railroad between Greenwich and New Haven CTDOT recommended a robust investment program to rebuild the railroad.

The study found the New Haven line was at capacity and facing growing passenger demand. In addition, aging infrastructure, dated designs and alignments, and multiple crossing of large marine estuaries make the railroad challenging to maintain.

Although the line already provides a high level of service it is constrained by five key issues:

• Legacy infrastructure and operating conditions.

• Reduced speeds resulting from track geography and slow orders.

• State of good repair and normal replacement projects that affect operating speeds.

• An aging locomotive-hauled fleet that limits capacity.

• Optimization of service to improve trip times.

Infrastructure problems include 34 bridges in poor or serious conditions and four century-old moveable bridges that need replacement; an obsolete legacy signal system, and early 20^th century catenary support structures that need substantial repair or replacement.

The railroad effectively operates above capacity between New Rochelle and Stamford. This necessitates generous recovery times to maintain schedules, and it constrains the ability to add more trains during peak hours. When New Haven Line service to Penn Station commences, hopefully in 2027, some trains that now run to Grand Central may have to be diverted since otherwise there will be no available slots.

CTDOT’s 2022-2026 capital plan contains several projects to rebuild infrastructure, expand capacity, improve reliability, and raise track speeds. They include replacing the WALK and Devon moveable bridges; upgraded yards and shops in New Haven to support a growing fleet; adding a station track and new platform in Stamford to increase capacity; high-level platforms on the Waterbury branch to improve accessibility, and upgrades to signal and power systems as well as track infrastructure to raise train speeds and provide more frequent service.

Earlier in October the Lamont administration authorized a $1.1 billion bond sale to finance transportation projects with almost 40 percent of the proceeds going toward rail. The money will help meet matching requirements to apply for $2.1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade infrastructure on the Northeast Corridor.

Longer-range projects include a second track on the Hartford Line between Windsor and Springfield, restoring the fourth track to approximately six miles of the New Haven Line around Milford, and replacing the SAGA and Cos Cob removeable bridges.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and CTDOT own the New Haven Line within their respective states. The section between New Rochelle and New Haven is the longest stretch of the Northeast Corridor not owned, dispatched, or maintained by Amtrak.

While the Time for CT initiative is being advanced independently, it is managed in close coordination with Connect NEC 35, a more extensive multi-state, multi-agency investment plan developed by the Northeast Corridor Commission. Another program with close ties is the MTA’s Penn Station Access program, which will bring New Haven Line trains into Penn Station New York and potentially save commuters as much as 50 minutes each way.

As a teen and pre-teen in the 1960s I was enamored with the New Haven Line, then the main line of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Whenever we drove up I-95 for vacation or to visit relatives in Connecticut, I’d keep an eye out for long passenger trains pulled by FL-9 diesel/electric or EP-5 electric locomotives in the flashy red, white, and black McGinnis paint scheme.

Unfortunately, the busy parade of trains did not belie the New Haven’s financial situation or the poor condition of its infrastructure. After the railroad was merged into Penn Central conditions worsened. While Metro North restored some of the line’s luster it now needs a major overhaul to provide the level of service its customers demand.

Although it is part of the Northeast Corridor, the New Haven line is unlikely to become a high-speed rail line due to its many tight curves, densely urbanized surroundings, and heavy traffic. But the planned upgrades will enable Metro North and Amtrak to offer their customers vastly improved service thanks to faster schedules, a more reliable physical plant with less congestion and fewer delays, and new locomotives and rolling stock.

Taking Next Week Off

A heads up that next week I will not post. I will be vacationing on the Iberian Peninsula. I’ll write again two weeks from now and tell you whether the train in Spain is faster than the plane.