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Danbury Branch (Metro-North)
Encyclopedia
Metro-North Railroad
's Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the New Haven Line
from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut
north to Danbury
. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Metro-North took over operation of the line from Conrail in 1983.
The Cannondale station
, pictured at right, is one of the more scenic stops along the line.
Main line stops for the Danbury Branch on the New Haven Line
(AM:2 trains southbound, PM:2 train northbound)
All peak trains and some off-peak run to Stamford
on weekdays
series cars, powered by GE Genesis
or Brookville BL20-GH locomotives.
began operating its line from Norwalk
north to Danbury
, on February 22, 1852. In July 1872 a branch from the main line at Bethel
northeast to Hawleyville opened. At Hawleyville, the branch connected to the Housatonic Railroad
, continuing north into Massachusetts
. Also at Hawleyville connections with the Shepaug Railroad to Litchfield were possible.
On May 1, 1874 that connection was supplemented by the New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad, running from Danbury northeast to the Housatonic. In 1881 the New York and New England Railroad
was completed, giving another connection at Danbury and at Hawleyville.
A short branch from Branchville
on the main line west to Ridgefield
opened July 1, 1870. In July 1882 an extension was built in Norwalk to dock
s at Wilson Point. The Housatonic Railroad
leased the D&N on July 21, 1887, and on July 1, 1892 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
leased the Housatonic.
The Danbury Line operated electric-powered trains beginning in 1925. Steel posts that once carried the overhead catenary system can still be seen along the line. The catenary system on the Danbury Line was removed in 1961 when diesel-powered locomotives resumed service on the line.
The NYNH&H merged into Penn Central in 1969. On January 1, 1971, the State of Connecticut leased the Danbury Branch from Penn Central. From 1976 until 1983 freight and passenger service on the line was provided by the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail)
under a contract with Connecticut. In 1983 the newly formed Metro-North Commuter Railroad took over operation of passenger service along the line. Conrail continued to provide freight service on the line until 1993. The Providence and Worcester Railroad
now provides freight service along the Danbury Branch.
The Switchtower Museum in South Norwalk describes to visitors how railroad employees would switch the tracks for trains continuing on the Danbury branch line, then switch them back for trains traveling along the New Haven main line.
The Danbury Railway Museum
is located in the former Union Station of the D&N and NY&NE in Danbury. It lies just north of the current Danbury Metro-North passenger station
. At the museum are examples of rolling stock retired from service as well as an indoor display of model trains.
.
In connection with the planned redevelopment of the Gilbert and Bennet Company wire factory as a dense and walkable residential neighborhood, the reopening of the Georgetown
station between the Cannondale and Branchville stations has been approved.
$30 million has been set aside from the economic stimulus package of 2009
to improve stations and install a new signal system along the line. Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell
held a press conference with local politicians at the Cannondale station
on July 28, 2009 to announce that construction was scheduled to start in autumn 2009.
Preliminary construction work has begun on the new signal system to move cables out of the way. Construction is expected to be completed in 2011 with trains using the extension in May 2012 after testing is finished.
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
's Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the New Haven Line
New Haven Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
north to Danbury
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Metro-North took over operation of the line from Conrail in 1983.
The Cannondale station
Cannondale (Metro-North station)
The Cannondale Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of the Cannondale area of Wilton, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line....
, pictured at right, is one of the more scenic stops along the line.
Station stops
From north to south- proposed location for new stations at North Danbury, Brookfield, and New MilfordNew Milford, ConnecticutNew Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
- DanburyDanbury (Metro-North station)The Danbury Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding areas at the north terminus of the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line...
current northern terminus - BethelBethel (Metro-North station)The Bethel Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Bethel, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line. The station is 62.2 miles to Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time between the two stations is 1 hour, 52 minutes regardless of through trains or transfers at...
- ReddingRedding (Metro-North station)The Redding Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Redding, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line. The station is called Redding in the Metro-North timetable, but the station is signed as West Redding, which is the name of the neighborhood within the town of Redding...
- BranchvilleBranchville (Metro-North station)The Branchville Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of the Branchville area of Ridgefield, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line....
- Danbury
- proposed location for rebuilt GeorgetownGeorgetown, ConnecticutGeorgetown is a village and census-designated place in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is located at the point where the towns of Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, and Weston meet....
station- CannondaleCannondale (Metro-North station)The Cannondale Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of the Cannondale area of Wilton, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line....
- WiltonWilton (Metro-North station)The Wilton Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Wilton, Connecticut, via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line.The station is to Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time from there is 1 hour, 19 minutes regardless of through trains or transfers at Stamford or South...
- Merritt 7Merritt 7 (Metro-North station)The Merritt 7 Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the northern part of Norwalk, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line. Merritt 7 is named for a nearby business park based at the intersection of the Merritt Parkway and United States Route 7...
- Cannondale
- splits from New Haven LineNew Haven Line (Metro-North)Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
- South NorwalkSouth Norwalk (Metro-North station)The South Norwalk Metro-North Railroad station is one of three stations serving the residents of Norwalk, Connecticut via the New Haven Line and is the more significant of the three. Nicknamed "SoNo" by riders and staff, the station is the point where the Danbury Branch connects to the Northeast...
- South Norwalk
- Continues southwest to Grand Central TerminalGrand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
northeast to Union Station New HavenUnion Station (New Haven)Union Station, also known as New Haven Railroad Station, is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. Designed by noted American architect Cass Gilbert, the beaux-arts Union Station was completed and opened in 1920 after the previous Union Station was...
on the New Haven LineNew Haven Line (Metro-North)Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
Main line stops for the Danbury Branch on the New Haven Line
(AM:2 trains southbound, PM:2 train northbound)
- RowaytonRowayton (Metro-North station)The Rowayton Metro-North Railroad station is one of three New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Norwalk, Connecticut. It is located in the neighborhood of Rowayton, from which it derives its name....
- DarienDarien (Metro-North station)The Darien Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 37.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal. A small station house is located on the north side of the tracks...
- Noroton HeightsNoroton Heights (Metro-North station)The Noroton Heights Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 36.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal.The station is located near Exit 10 on Interstate 95...
All peak trains and some off-peak run to Stamford
Stamford (Metro-North station)
The Stamford Metro-North Railroad station, officially known as the Stamford Transportation Center serves commuters both leaving and entering Stamford, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. Some Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains also stop at Stamford....
on weekdays
- Continues southwest to Grand Central TerminalGrand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
northeast to Union Station New HavenUnion Station (New Haven)Union Station, also known as New Haven Railroad Station, is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. Designed by noted American architect Cass Gilbert, the beaux-arts Union Station was completed and opened in 1920 after the previous Union Station was...
on the New Haven LineNew Haven Line (Metro-North)Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
Rolling stock
Unlike the New Haven Line or New Canaan Branch, the Danbury branch is not electrified and uses diesel locomotives in push-pull operation. Usually, the diesels push the trains towards Grand Central Station, and pull towards Danbury. All of the rolling stock cars are ShorelinerComet (passenger car)
The Comets are a class of locomotive-hauled railcars that was first designed in the late 1960s by Pullman-Standard as a modern commuter car for North American rail lines. Later, the Comet moniker was adopted by New Jersey Transit for all of its non-powered single level commuter coaches...
series cars, powered by GE Genesis
GE Genesis
GE Genesis is a series of passenger locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Electric...
or Brookville BL20-GH locomotives.
History
The Danbury and Norwalk RailroadDanbury and Norwalk Railroad
The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad was an independent American railroad that operated between its namesake cities in Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Railroad in 1887...
began operating its line from Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
north to Danbury
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, on February 22, 1852. In July 1872 a branch from the main line at Bethel
Bethel, Connecticut
Bethel is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, about sixty miles from New York City. Its population was 18,584 at the 2010 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
northeast to Hawleyville opened. At Hawleyville, the branch connected to the Housatonic Railroad
Housatonic Railroad
The Housatonic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.The...
, continuing north into Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Also at Hawleyville connections with the Shepaug Railroad to Litchfield were possible.
On May 1, 1874 that connection was supplemented by the New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad, running from Danbury northeast to the Housatonic. In 1881 the New York and New England Railroad
New York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad was a major railroad connecting southern New York state with Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed by...
was completed, giving another connection at Danbury and at Hawleyville.
A short branch from Branchville
Branchville, Connecticut
Branchville is a section of the southeast corner of the Town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and is also the name of a Metro North railroad station .- History :...
on the main line west to Ridgefield
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
opened July 1, 1870. In July 1882 an extension was built in Norwalk to dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
s at Wilson Point. The Housatonic Railroad
Housatonic Railroad
The Housatonic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.The...
leased the D&N on July 21, 1887, and on July 1, 1892 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
leased the Housatonic.
The Danbury Line operated electric-powered trains beginning in 1925. Steel posts that once carried the overhead catenary system can still be seen along the line. The catenary system on the Danbury Line was removed in 1961 when diesel-powered locomotives resumed service on the line.
The NYNH&H merged into Penn Central in 1969. On January 1, 1971, the State of Connecticut leased the Danbury Branch from Penn Central. From 1976 until 1983 freight and passenger service on the line was provided by the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail)
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
under a contract with Connecticut. In 1983 the newly formed Metro-North Commuter Railroad took over operation of passenger service along the line. Conrail continued to provide freight service on the line until 1993. The Providence and Worcester Railroad
Providence and Worcester Railroad
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
now provides freight service along the Danbury Branch.
The Switchtower Museum in South Norwalk describes to visitors how railroad employees would switch the tracks for trains continuing on the Danbury branch line, then switch them back for trains traveling along the New Haven main line.
The Danbury Railway Museum
Danbury Railway Museum
The Danbury Railway Museum is housed in the former Union Station on the east end of downtown Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It was established in the mid-1990s following the closure of the station by Metro-North Railroad, and primarily focuses on the history of railroading in southeastern...
is located in the former Union Station of the D&N and NY&NE in Danbury. It lies just north of the current Danbury Metro-North passenger station
Danbury (Metro-North station)
The Danbury Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding areas at the north terminus of the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line...
. At the museum are examples of rolling stock retired from service as well as an indoor display of model trains.
Future plans
There have been proposals to re-electrify the Danbury Branch along with a plan to extend service north from Danbury to New MilfordNew Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
.
In connection with the planned redevelopment of the Gilbert and Bennet Company wire factory as a dense and walkable residential neighborhood, the reopening of the Georgetown
Georgetown, Connecticut
Georgetown is a village and census-designated place in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is located at the point where the towns of Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, and Weston meet....
station between the Cannondale and Branchville stations has been approved.
$30 million has been set aside from the economic stimulus package of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
to improve stations and install a new signal system along the line. Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell
M. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
held a press conference with local politicians at the Cannondale station
Cannondale (Metro-North station)
The Cannondale Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of the Cannondale area of Wilton, Connecticut via the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line....
on July 28, 2009 to announce that construction was scheduled to start in autumn 2009.
Preliminary construction work has begun on the new signal system to move cables out of the way. Construction is expected to be completed in 2011 with trains using the extension in May 2012 after testing is finished.
See also
- Connecticut Rail Commuter CouncilConnecticut Rail Commuter CouncilThe Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is an independent state board that acts as an advocate for commuters on the Metro-North and Shore Line East railroads....
is the official advocate for train commuters, bringing station problems to the attention of officials.
External links
- Railroad History Database
- Philip C. Blakeslee, A Brief History Lines West Of The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co. (1953)