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CT Rail
From top-left: GP40-3H at Hartford, Mafersa coaches at Old Saybrook, CTDOT P40DC at New London, and signage at State Street station
Overview
OwnerConnecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT)
LocaleConnecticut and Western Massachusetts
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of lines2
Number of stations22
Daily ridership4,255 (2019)
Annual ridership1,410,500 (2019)
Websitectrail.com
Operation
Began operation1990
Operator(s)TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts (Hartford Line)
Amtrak (Shore Line East)
Reporting marksCNDX
Technical
System length121 miles (195 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

CT Rail, stylized as CTrail, is the brand for commuter rail services overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), in the U.S. state of Connecticut, with some service extending into Massachusetts. CTDOT oversees two lines: Shore Line East, between New Haven and New London, Connecticut, and the Hartford Line, from New Haven, through Hartford, to Springfield, Massachusetts.[1]

Services are operated under contract, with Shore Line East operated by Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor, and the Hartford Line operated by a joint venture of TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts.[2][3][4] CT Rail trains, along with other CTDOT rail operations, use the reporting mark CNDX.[5]

Lines

CT Rail operates two commuter rail lines: the Hartford Line and Shore Line East.[2] Both lines utilize portions of the Northeast Corridor, with most trains terminating at Union Station in New Haven.[6]

Hartford Line

Main article: Hartford Line

The Hartford Line runs between New Haven Union Station in New Haven and Springfield Union Station in Springfield. The line is a joint venture between the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).[7] Service began on June 16, 2018. CT Rail Hartford Line tickets are also accepted on Amtrak's Hartford Line, however, the Vermonter inter-city service does not participate despite running along the same route.[8] The majority of the Hartford Line's route is along the New Haven–Springfield Line, with two stations in New Haven, Union Station and State Street, being on the Northeast Corridor.[6]

Shore Line East

Main article: Shore Line East

CT Rail's Shore Line East commuter rail service runs between New London and New Haven, with limited service continuing onto Bridgeport and Stamford. When service initially started along the line on May 29, 1990, CT Rail commuter trains were intended to be a temporary measure in order to reduce congestion along Interstate 95 during a highway construction project. However, the service was made permanent due to more ridership than initially anticipated. The line has an average daily ridership of about 2,100 riders and runs along the Northeast Corridor for its entire length. Since May 2022, Shore Line East has used Kawasaki M8 electric multiple units to provide service on the line.

Rolling stock

Current

CT Rail uses the following rolling stock for its commuter rail operations:

Builder Model Photo Active Road numbers Year built Year Rebuilt Year acquired Notes
Locomotives
GE P40DC 12 833–834 836, 838, 840–843, 4800–4803

6700–6711 (ongoing rebuilds)

1993 2018– 2005, 2015 Being rebuilt since 2018.[9][10] All are ex-Amtrak units. Units 833–843 were acquired directly in 2005; 4800–4803 were owned by NJT prior to CTDOT.
EMD GP40-3H 6 6694–6699 1971[6] 2015–2017 1996[6] Rebuilt in 2018.
Coaches
Mafersa Coaches 33
  • 1701–1719 (cab cars, odd numbers only)
  • 1730–1774 (coach cars, even numbers only)
 1991–1992 2004 2004 Ex-Virginia Railway Express.
MBB Coaches 16[11][12] 501, 503, 505, 508, 509, 516, 517, 522, 526, 527, 528, 532, 1505, 1509, 1518, 1520 1988[13] 2017–2018 2017–2018[11] Leased from MBTA.[14][11] Operating as four-car consists.[12] To be returned to MBTA before 2023[15][needs update]
Electric Multiple Units
Kawasaki M8 Railcar
471 9100–9474 2011–2022 N/A 2011–2022 Used for Shore Line East service; shared with Metro-North

Future rolling stock

There are plans to buy new equipment for the Hartford Line as a bulk purchase with Metro-North Railroad's Danbury and Waterbury branches after about five years of operation,[16] although replacing the leased equipment with the current SLE coaches that will be displaced by the M8s remains an option.[17] A study is currently underway studying on electrification on the Hartford Line as well as the Waterbury and Danbury branches.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Office of Rails". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  2. ^ a b "CTrail". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  3. ^ "Launch of New Hartford Passenger Line Part of 'Train Renaissance'". UConn Today. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  4. ^ "Hartford Line | Service Provider". www.hartfordline.com. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  5. ^ "AAR Railroad Reporting Marks (2021)". www.railserve.com. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  6. ^ a b c d "Hartford Line | Route & Stations | Service Map". www.hartfordline.com. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  7. ^ "Connecticut bets big with Hartford Line". Railway Age. 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  8. ^ "CT Rail Hartford Line: Timetables, fare prices, details on new Springfield-Hartford-New Haven commuter rail service". masslive. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  9. ^ "Notice of Contract Award" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. April 25, 2018.
  10. ^ "News Photo: First CDOT P40 rebuild debuts". Trains News Wire. March 8, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Rail Car Repairs, Leasing Issues Put Hartford Line Start Date in Doubt". Hartford Courant. April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  12. ^ a b "What the Hartford Line Brings to Customers". Hartford Line. 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  13. ^ "MBTA Vehicle Inventory". NETransit. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  14. ^ New Haven – Hartford – Springfield Rail Program [@NHHSRail] (March 13, 2018). "For the Hartford Line's service launch, CTDOT is leasing legacy Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) coaches from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The SLE train used last weekend was for testing and training purposes only" (Tweet). Retrieved March 22, 2018 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "Lawmakers Questioning Hartford Line Rail Car Deal, Value of Aging Commuter Coaches". Hartford Courant. April 10, 2018.
  16. ^ Stacom, Don (February 18, 2017). "Hartford Rail Line On Track Despite Connecticut Budget Crisis". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  17. ^ Stacom, Don (January 7, 2016). "Shore Line East Will Send Trains To Hartford Line, Get New Fleet". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016.
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