New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line
Encyclopedia
The New Haven–Hartford–Springfield commuter rail line is a planned commuter rail line with a southern terminus at Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut
, and a northern terminus at Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts
, United States
. Construction of the line has been entirely funded on the Massachusetts side, including $70 million for renovations to Springfield's grand 1926 Union Station.
As of October 2011, passenger rail access along this corridor is provided by Amtrak
, which runs 6-7 weekday and 7-8 weekend trips in each direction on its New Haven–Springfield Line, usually through transfers to a two or three car Shuttle
at New Haven's Union Station. Service runs outside usual work commuting hours for northbound passengers - the first train arrives in Hartford at 9:27 a.m. Evening Southbound service leaves Hartford before 8 p.m, which does not allow for participation in either Hartford or Springfield's evening activities. Currently, all trips require inconvenient advanced reservations and ticket purchases.
As of April 2011, Connecticut's portion of the commuter line has been 2/3 funded. Currently, the state is seeking the $227 million necessary to complete the northern portion of the line from the $2.4 billion in Federal funds that Florida rejected to fund its own high-speed rail project. According to Connecticut Governor Malloy, the Knowledge Corridor line will reach speeds up to 110 mph. The line is expected to be operational during 2015.
has been studying Amtrak's Inland Route for operating commuter rail service. The original plan approved by the 1996 Connecticut General Assembly Rail Task Force as a demonstration project would have run limited service operating during peak periods. Current plans call for a more substantial timetable and added improvements. Due to starts and stops in the process, as well as slow progress, the project has been delayed considerably.
One source of delay for re-establishment of this commuter rail line was lack of widespread support in the New Haven region. Although reestablishing this service was briefly mentioned in the South Central Regional Council of Government's January 2001 Long Range Mobility Plan it was not until 2003 that this commuter service provision began to consistently listed among key transportation priorities in the annual Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Legislative Agenda..
Another source of delay was the 2002–2005 New Haven–Hartford–Springfield Commuter Rail Implementation Study by ConnDOT and Wilbur Smith Associates. While this study did call for the establishment of commuter service along the line, the proposed schedules did not link well with those of the New Haven Line. Also according to its revised ConnDOT ridership prediction model, the report estimated only eight riders would board all morning trains at New Haven's Union Station for Hartford and points in-between.. The result was a temporary downgrading of support for the project.
However, on a typical morning, the first Amtrak train arriving in Hartford from New Haven at 9:20 a.m. outside of typical work commuting hours has at least 30 passengers. Moreover, a March 8–13, 2004 New Haven Register/Sacred Heart University transportation issues telephone study among a random sample of 801 Greater New Haven residents determined that 38.1% would be "very or somewhat likely" to patronize the line, indicating a renewed interest in the line.
In January 2010, $40 million of stimulus funds
were approved to double-track 11 miles of the corridor. In July 2010, Governor Jodi Rell
asked the Connecticut State Bond Commission to authorize borrowing $260 million in an effort to attract additional federal matching funds, to double-track the remainder of the corridor, construct freight sidings, and improve signaling. These upgrades, together with new rolling stock, should allow for two-way service during peak hours at speeds from 20 to 80 miles per hour. On August 17, 2010, Connecticut lawmakers authorized borrowing the $260 million. In November 2010, Governor Rell announced that Connecticut received an additional $120.9 million in funds from the Federal government to fund the project.
As of April 2011, Connecticut State officials have applied for $227 million from the federal government that would complete track improvements between Hartford and Springfield, Mass. ConnDOT applied for the money to the Federal Railroad Administration, part of $2.4 billion that the governor of Florida rejected because of the spending it would require from his budget.
The Massachusetts portion of the Knowledge Corridor line has already been fully funded by a $70 million Federal grant, and an additional $70 million to renovate Springfield's Union Station, which closed down in 1973 following the completion of I-91. http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/10/26/regional-rail-plan-gets-121m-boost
A presentation given at various public information meetings in December 2008 identified service levels under both "Start Up" and "Full Build" options:
Start Up
Full Build
The above service figures include continuation of existing Amtrak service on the line.
Connecticut
locomotives and Amfleet
coaches and cab cars. When the commuter rail service starts operation, the current Shore Line East
EMD GP40-2
locomotives and the rebuilt VRE coaches and cab cars will be used on the New Haven-Springfield line. There was recently a proposal by Bombardier
to have the DOT buy double-decker trains for the Springfield Line that could operate into New York Penn Station
. The idea was dropped by the DOT. There is, though, talk of operating some of the trains into Grand Central Terminal
. There are plans to, eventually, replace the GP40-2H engines. Should electrification ever occur, the new M8
s from Metro-North's New Haven Line would be able to serve the line.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, and a northern terminus at Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Construction of the line has been entirely funded on the Massachusetts side, including $70 million for renovations to Springfield's grand 1926 Union Station.
As of October 2011, passenger rail access along this corridor is provided by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, which runs 6-7 weekday and 7-8 weekend trips in each direction on its New Haven–Springfield Line, usually through transfers to a two or three car Shuttle
Shuttle (Amtrak)
Amtrak runs Shuttles between Springfield, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut along Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line. These shuttles connect with Northeast Regional service at the New Haven station, usually a cross-platform or same platform transfer....
at New Haven's Union Station. Service runs outside usual work commuting hours for northbound passengers - the first train arrives in Hartford at 9:27 a.m. Evening Southbound service leaves Hartford before 8 p.m, which does not allow for participation in either Hartford or Springfield's evening activities. Currently, all trips require inconvenient advanced reservations and ticket purchases.
As of April 2011, Connecticut's portion of the commuter line has been 2/3 funded. Currently, the state is seeking the $227 million necessary to complete the northern portion of the line from the $2.4 billion in Federal funds that Florida rejected to fund its own high-speed rail project. According to Connecticut Governor Malloy, the Knowledge Corridor line will reach speeds up to 110 mph. The line is expected to be operational during 2015.
History of the project
Since 1994, the Connecticut Department of TransportationConnecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
has been studying Amtrak's Inland Route for operating commuter rail service. The original plan approved by the 1996 Connecticut General Assembly Rail Task Force as a demonstration project would have run limited service operating during peak periods. Current plans call for a more substantial timetable and added improvements. Due to starts and stops in the process, as well as slow progress, the project has been delayed considerably.
One source of delay for re-establishment of this commuter rail line was lack of widespread support in the New Haven region. Although reestablishing this service was briefly mentioned in the South Central Regional Council of Government's January 2001 Long Range Mobility Plan it was not until 2003 that this commuter service provision began to consistently listed among key transportation priorities in the annual Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Legislative Agenda..
Another source of delay was the 2002–2005 New Haven–Hartford–Springfield Commuter Rail Implementation Study by ConnDOT and Wilbur Smith Associates. While this study did call for the establishment of commuter service along the line, the proposed schedules did not link well with those of the New Haven Line. Also according to its revised ConnDOT ridership prediction model, the report estimated only eight riders would board all morning trains at New Haven's Union Station for Hartford and points in-between.. The result was a temporary downgrading of support for the project.
However, on a typical morning, the first Amtrak train arriving in Hartford from New Haven at 9:20 a.m. outside of typical work commuting hours has at least 30 passengers. Moreover, a March 8–13, 2004 New Haven Register/Sacred Heart University transportation issues telephone study among a random sample of 801 Greater New Haven residents determined that 38.1% would be "very or somewhat likely" to patronize the line, indicating a renewed interest in the line.
Current plan
The plan calls for new stations and several sections of the line to be double-tracked again. (The line was double-tracked into the late 1990s, when one track was removed.) The Berlin station was recently rebuilt with a new platform, providing room for an additional track.In January 2010, $40 million of stimulus funds
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...
were approved to double-track 11 miles of the corridor. In July 2010, Governor Jodi Rell
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,...
asked the Connecticut State Bond Commission to authorize borrowing $260 million in an effort to attract additional federal matching funds, to double-track the remainder of the corridor, construct freight sidings, and improve signaling. These upgrades, together with new rolling stock, should allow for two-way service during peak hours at speeds from 20 to 80 miles per hour. On August 17, 2010, Connecticut lawmakers authorized borrowing the $260 million. In November 2010, Governor Rell announced that Connecticut received an additional $120.9 million in funds from the Federal government to fund the project.
As of April 2011, Connecticut State officials have applied for $227 million from the federal government that would complete track improvements between Hartford and Springfield, Mass. ConnDOT applied for the money to the Federal Railroad Administration, part of $2.4 billion that the governor of Florida rejected because of the spending it would require from his budget.
The Massachusetts portion of the Knowledge Corridor line has already been fully funded by a $70 million Federal grant, and an additional $70 million to renovate Springfield's Union Station, which closed down in 1973 following the completion of I-91. http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/10/26/regional-rail-plan-gets-121m-boost
A presentation given at various public information meetings in December 2008 identified service levels under both "Start Up" and "Full Build" options:
Start Up
- 16 trains daily, each direction (15 on weekends)
- 30 minute headwayHeadwayHeadway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
s during peak hours - 1-2 hour headways off-peak
- service provided 15 hours daily
Full Build
- 35 trains daily, each direction
- 15 minute headways during peak hours
- 1 hour headways off-peak
- service provided 20 hours daily
The above service figures include continuation of existing Amtrak service on the line.
Planned station stops
MassachusettsMassachusetts
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...
Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
- EnfieldEnfield (CDOT station)Enfield Station is a proposed station in Enfield on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line. It was listed by the Department of Transportation as one of three new stations that would be built for the line, the others being Newington and North Haven/Hamden. It would be located at the...
- NewingtonNewington (CDOT station)Newington Station is a proposed station in Newington, Connecticut, on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line. It was listed by the Department of Transportation as one of three new stations that would be built for the line, the others being Enfield and North Haven/Hamden.The station...
- North HavenNorth Haven/Hamden (CDOT station)North Haven/Hamden Station is a proposed station in North Haven, Connecticut on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line. It was listed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation as one of three new stations that would be built for the line, the others being Enfield and Newington...
- State Street Station (New Haven)State Street Station (New Haven)State Street Station is the secondary railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut located northeast of the primary station in the city, Union Station. The station opened on June 7, 2002, for Shore Line East trains and June 24, 2002, for Metro-North Railroad trains...
Rolling stock
The line currently operates with Amtrak GE GenesisGE Genesis
GE Genesis is a series of passenger locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Electric...
locomotives and Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
coaches and cab cars. When the commuter rail service starts operation, the current Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
EMD GP40-2
EMD GP40-2
An EMD GP40-2 is a 4-axle diesel road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division as part of its Dash 2 line between April 1972 and December 1986. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 16-cylinder engine which generated 3000 horsepower .- Production :Standard GP40-2 production...
locomotives and the rebuilt VRE coaches and cab cars will be used on the New Haven-Springfield line. There was recently a proposal by Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
to have the DOT buy double-decker trains for the Springfield Line that could operate into New York Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
. The idea was dropped by the DOT. There is, though, talk of operating some of the trains into Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand 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...
. There are plans to, eventually, replace the GP40-2H engines. Should electrification ever occur, the new M8
M8 (railcar)
The M8 is an electric multiple unit railroad car built by Kawasaki for use on the New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad. It will replace the current fleet of 240 M2's which are nearing 40 years old and the 54 M4's which entered service in 1987.-Design:...
s from Metro-North's New Haven Line would be able to serve the line.