Union Station (New Haven)

New Haven
Amtrak inter-city rail station Metro-North New Haven Line commuter rail station Shore Line East commuter rail station
General information
Location	50 Union Avenue, New Haven, CT 06519
Coordinates	41.297532°N 72.926559°W / 41.297532; -72.926559
Line(s)	Amtrak:   Acela   Northeast Regional   Hartford Line   Vermonter ConnDOT: Metro-North:   New Haven Line
Connections	CT Transit New Haven: J, New Haven Commuter Connection (PM only) - Downtown, Sargent Drive Greyhound
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	NHV (Amtrak) ZVE (IATA)
History
Opened	1918
Rebuilt	1985
Passengers
2008	705,458 (Amtrak)  10.2%
Services
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Union Station is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. Designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert, the beaux-arts Union Station opened in 1918 after the previous Union Station was destroyed by fire. It fell into decline, however, along with the rest of the railroad industry in North America after World War II. It was shuttered in 1972 and almost demolished until the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project came to the rescue in 1979. Reopened after extensive renovations in early 1985, it is now the premier gateway to the city.

The handsomely restored building features interior limestone walls, ornate ceilings, chandeliers and striking stainless steel ceilings in the tunnels to the trains. In the station, there are newsstands, car rental outlets, restaurants and other stores. Parking for the station has been a major bottleneck, despite a large parking structure attached to the station in addition to parking lots. The parking problem has been partially alleviated by the opening of the State Street Station and the opening of other large parking structures in the area.

Current service

Amtrak

Union Station at dusk

Boston South Greenbush, Old Colony, and Fairmount Lines Back Bay Inland Route Boston to Route 128 Boston to Route 128 Ruggles Forest Hills Hyde Park Franklin/Foxboro Line and Fairmount Line Readville Route 128 Route 128 to Providence Route 128 to Providence Canton Junction Stoughton Branch Sharon Framingham Secondary Mansfield Middleboro Subdivision Attleboro East Junction Branch South Attleboro East Providence Branch MA RI Providence and Worcester RR Pawtucket/​Central Falls Providence Providence to New London Providence to New London T. F. Green Airport Seaview Railroad Wickford Junction Kingston Westerly RI CT Mystic Groton Wharf Branch Norwich and Worcester Railroad New England Central Railroad New London New London to New Haven New London to New Haven Valley Railroad Old Saybrook Westbrook Clinton Madison Guilford Branford Steam Railroad Branford Air Line New Haven–Springfield Line New Haven State Street New Haven New Haven to Stamford New Haven to Stamford West Haven Milford Waterbury Branch Stratford Bridgeport Fairfield Metro Fairfield Southport Green's Farms Westport East Norwalk Danbury Branch South Norwalk Rowayton Darien Noroton Heights New Canaan Branch Stamford Stamford to New York City Stamford to New York City Old Greenwich Riverside Cos Cob Greenwich CT NY Port Chester Rye Harrison Mamaroneck Larchmont New Rochelle New Haven Line Oak Point Link New York Connecting Railroad LIRR Main Line Lower Montauk Branch LIRR Main Line New York New York City to Newark New York City to Newark Empire Corridor NY NJ CSX River Subdivision NJ Transit Secaucus Junction Waterfront Connection Kearny Connection Newark Penn Station Newark to Metropark Newark to Metropark Raritan Valley Line / Lehigh Line Newark Liberty Int'l Airport North Elizabeth Elizabeth Staten Island Railway Linden Linden Industrial Track Rahway North Jersey Coast Line Metropark Metropark to Trenton Metropark to Trenton Port Reading Secondary Metuchen Edison New Brunswick Millstone Branch Jersey Avenue Amboy Secondary Princeton Junction Princeton Branch Hamilton Trenton Trenton to Philadelphia Trenton to Philadelphia NJ PA Trenton Cutoff / NJT Morrisville Yard Fairless Branch Levittown Bristol Croydon Eddington Cornwells Heights Torresdale Bustleton Branch Holmesburg Junction Tacony Bridesburg Atlantic City Line North Philadelphia SEPTA Main Line Chestnut Hill West Line CSX CSX Keystone Corridor Zoo Junction Philadelphia–30th Street  Philadelphia to Wilmington  Philadelphia to Wilmington West Chester Line Philadelphia Subdivision Airport Line Darby Curtis Park Sharon Hill Folcroft Glenolden Norwood Prospect Park Ridley Park Crum Lynne Eddystone Chester T.C. Highland Avenue Chester Secondary Marcus Hook PA DE Claymont Shellpot Branch Wilmington Wilmington to Baltimore Wilmington to Baltimore Philadelphia Subdivision Shellpot Branch Churchmans Crossing Delmarva Secondary Newark, DE DE MD Port Road Branch Perryville Aberdeen Edgewood Martin State Airport Port of Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore to BWI Airport Baltimore to BWI Airport West Baltimore Halethorpe Camden Line BWI Airport BWI Airport to Washington BWI Airport to Washington Odenton Bowie State Pope's Creek Subdivision Seabrook New Carrollton Landover Subdivision Alexandria Extension MD DC Camden Line Brunswick Line Washington, D.C. RF&P Subdivision

Amtrak runs frequent service through Union Station along the electrified Northeast Corridor rail line. Most Amtrak trains are Northeast Regional trains or Acela Express trains operating between New York City and Boston.

Shuttle trains to Springfield, Massachusetts connect with some Northeast Regional trains; other Northeast Regionals run through to Springfield from New York or vice versa. These through trains must change locomotives at New Haven, as the track north to Springfield is not electrified, unlike the Northeast Corridor.

Additionally, the Vermonter provides through service from Washington, D.C. beyond Springfield to St. Albans, Vermont.

Because of Continental Airlines code sharing on select Amtrak trains between Union Station and its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in the New York City area, Union Station is assigned the IATA airport code of ZVE.

Metro-North

Metro-North Railroad operates its New Haven Line from Union Station, to Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The service is well patronized by commuters, despite the travel time of nearly two hours.

Shore Line East

Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation designed to serve residents of coastal Connecticut east of New Haven who work in New Haven, Stamford, or New York. Shore Line East trains run primarily inbound from Old Saybrook, Connecticut in the morning, and primarily outbound in the evening, with a few runs continuing to New London, Connecticut.

Future service

The states of Connecticut and Massachusetts are considering establishing commuter rail service the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line from New Haven to Springfield on the current Amtrak line, with a shuttle bus connection in Windsor Locks for Bradley International Airport.

Platform and track configuration

This station has four high-level island platforms each nine cars long. All platforms are used for service in either direction.

The New Haven Line has 14 tracks at this location. The northern platform is adjacent to Tracks 1 and 3. The second platform from the north is adjacent to Tracks 2 and 4. The second platform from the south is adjacent to Tracks 8 and 10. The southern platform is adjacent to Tracks 12 and 14. Track 6, not adjacent to any platform, is used only by through trains.

See also

• Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is the official state advocate for train commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.

External links

• New Haven Union Station – Amtrak
• New Haven Union Station – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Metro-North Railroad - New Haven-Union Station
• Shore Line East - Union Station, New Haven
• New Haven Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• The Subway Nut - New Haven Union Station