Hartford Railroad Line Improvements Get Major Federal Funding

HARTFORD, CT — A prominent rail line serving the greater Hartford area will receive millions from the federal government for improvements, state officials announced earlier this month.

Gov. Ned Lamont and the members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation announced on Jan. 13 that the Federal Railroad Administration is awarding Connecticut approximately $11.6 million from former U.S. President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase and extend service along the CTrail Hartford Line.

This funding is being awarded to the state Department of Transportation under the FRA’s Restoration and Enhancement Program to expand rail services further and improve customer service for riders along the corridor.

The federal grant will be matched by approximately $13.4 million in state funds from DOT.

“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.

"Expanding service on this line will further make travel on this rail line even more convenient, and I appreciate President Biden and the FRA for partnering with our state to make this happen.”

The $25 million project will increase service and reliability across the entire Hartford Line, including the rail stations in New Haven, Hartford, Windsor Locks, and Springfield, Mass.

In total, the CTrail Hartford Line Expanded Enhancement Project will:

• Add a weekday round trip from New Haven to Hartford, addressing a midday service gap of up to three hours.
• Increase customer service hours at Hartford Union Station by 75%.
• Extend the weekend 6456, 6457, 6458, and 6459 trains to Windsor Locks station.
• Extend the weekday 4401 train from Windsor Locks to Springfield, Mass.
• Continue previous 2020 funding for the addition of two weekday trains between New Haven and Springfield, Mass.
• Enhance connectivity of the existing rail service along the Northeast Corridor.

For more information on the Hartford Line, visit HartfordLine.com

For more information on the grant funding for the Hartford line, click on this link.