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Shore Line East

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Shore Line East
"New Haven" CTDOT GP40-2H #6697 at Old Saybrook
Overview
OwnerAmtrak
(east of Shoreline Junction)
ConnDOT
(west of Shoreline Junction)
LocaleSoutheastern Connecticut
Termini
Stations14
Websiteshorelineeast.com
Service
Typecommuter rail
Operator(s)Amtrak
(under contract to ConnDOT)
Rolling stockPush-pull coaches
History
OpenedMay 29, 1990
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
Template:Infobox rdt

Shore Line East (SLE) is a commuter rail service which operates along the Northeast Corridor through southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with limited through service to Bridgeport and Stamford. Connecting service west of New Haven to New York City is available via Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line.

The service was introduced in 1990 as a temporary measure to reduce congestion during construction work on I-95. However, it proved more popular than expected, and service was continued after construction ended despite criticisms that the line was too expensive to operate. The service has been continually upgraded since its inception with rebuilt stations and new rolling stock as well as extensions to New London in 1996 and to Stamford in 2001. Around 2,400 riders use the service every weekday.[1]

Current service

Most weekday SLE trains run local westbound from New London or Old Saybrook to New Haven in the morning, with some nonstop eastbound service. This traffic pattern is reversed in the afternoon and evening rush. A handful operate through New Haven as far as Stamford.

A Shore Line East train at Union Station in New Haven, the focal point of the line, with an former Amtrak P40DC No. 841 leading

Most weekend SLE trains also run local westbound in the morning, then express in the afternoon, stopping only at Guilford and Westbrook between Old Saybrook and State Street. Eastbound service is reversed. This is due to the fact that Branford, Madison, and Clinton only have platforms on the eastbound track, and thus switching is needed to platform a westbound train.

Around half of SLE trains operate to and from New London Station. New London SLE multi-ride pass holders are also allowed to board selected Northeast Regional trains, or Acela Express train #2151. There are plans to increase the service to New London, which is limited by U.S. Coast Guard requirements regarding the bridge crossing the Connecticut River. After years with just one or two trains to New London, additional New London round trips were added in 2010 and 2013, and weekend service began in June 2013.[2][3]

All trains that do not operate west of New Haven make a connection to a Metro-North Railroad train at New Haven, for service to and from points in Connecticut, Westchester County, New York, and New York City.

Although SLE service is funded by ConnDOT, it is operated under contract by Amtrak. Amtrak owns and dispatches the Northeast Corridor east of New Haven. West of New Haven, the New Haven Line is owned by ConnDOT and dispatched by Metro-North.

During the OpSail and SailFest tall ship festivals at New London, extra Friday and weekend Shore Line East service is operated from New Haven to New London.[4] During OpSail 2000, through service operated from New Haven to Mystic – the only time Shore Line East service has run east of New London.[5]

Service history

Previous service

Shore Line East No. 6695, an EMD GP40-2H, in New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad livery at Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut

The section of the Northeast Corridor that Shore Line East operates on was once the New York-Boston mainline of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The section from New Haven to New London was built as the New Haven & New London Railroad. It was charted in 1848, began construction in 1850, and opened for service in July 1852.[6] The line was owned by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad (the "Stonington Road") from 1858 to 1862, and by the Shore Line Railway from 1864 until it was acquired by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (the "New Haven") in 1870. Crossing the Connecticut River required a ferry transfer until a drawbridge was built in 1870[6] The line was referred to by the New Haven Railroad as the Shore Line, to distinguish it from the railroad's Main Line from New Haven to Springfield, Massachusetts. In recognition of the large role played by the New Haven in the history and heritage of the state of Connecticut, ConnDOT paints SLE's diesel-powered locomotives in the New Haven's orange and black style. New Haven Railroad colors and emblems have also been placed at several stations, particularly New Haven Union Station.

The New Haven Railroad operated local service on the Shore Line up until its merger with Penn Central on January 1, 1969, when commuter service east of New Haven was abandoned. Intercity service continued, but generally only stopped at New Haven, Old Saybrook, and New London.[7] In 1976, Amtrak brought the service back with the Clamdigger, a local service running between New Haven and Providence. It was briefly replaced by the Beacon Hill, which stopped at New Haven, Branford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Niantic, New London, and Mystic en route to Providence and Boston. The Beacon Hill was discontinued in 1981 due to funding cuts, ending commuter service in Connecticut east of New Haven.[8]

Initial service

In 1981 and 1986, legislation was proposed to restore commuter service between New Haven and New London, as well as between New Haven and Hartford. A 1986 ConnDOT study analyzed congestion on Interstate 95, which runs parallel to the line. The study showed that Old Saybrook was a better terminus for initial service, with an expected ridership of 420 riders in each direction daily.[9]

Based on the study, Governor O'Neill ordered ConnDOT in October 1986 to initiate rail service on the corridor. It was established as a temporary service to newly reopened local stations between Union Station in New Haven and Old Saybrook, to alleviate traffic congestion that arose from scheduled construction work on I-95. O'Neill introduced a $50 million transportation program that included $900,000 (later reduced to $500,000) for basic stations and $4 million to refurbish 12 Budd Rail Diesel Cars for rolling stock. The RDCs were found to be insufficient and two diesel trainsets were purchased from the defunct PATrain service in 1989 instead.[9]

A second study in 1989 indicated higher potential ridership of 700 to 1350 daily riders. The state bought Amtrak's New Haven maintenance facility in May 1989 and signed a service contract with Amtrak in November. (Metro-North Railroad was not considered for several reasons, largely because Amtrak already owned the rail line east of New Haven). Construction of 5 intermediate stations was completed in April 1990.[9]

Shore Line East service began on May 29, 1990, with four trains each direction during the morning and evening. The service carried the Clamdigger name during planning; "Shore Line East" did not appear until shortly before service began. Shore Line East was threatened to be cut in 1991 by newly elected Governor Lowell Weicker, but it proved more popular than expected, and was effectively made permanent. A 1996 study found that Shore Line East captured 8% of regional commuter trips and attracted a loyal ridership base.[9]

In 1995 and 1997, then Gov. John Rowland proposed to replace Shore Line East and the Waterbury Branch with bus service, citing a high subsidy of $18.70 per rider per trip, in order to decrease the unpopular gas tax.[10] Lawmakers from the region called the proposals political and defended the line's ability to reduce congestion and pollution, while opponents of the line called it an example of government waste.[11] The Shore Line East Rider's Association and other groups lobbied to save both services each time, and after public hearings a small fare increase was enacted in late 1997 instead.[12]

Early expansions and criticisms

Shore Line East was extended to New London Union Station in 1996

In July 1995, Governor Rowland signed a bill ordering various studies, including one that analyzed extending service to New London as had been originally planned.[13] Before the study was completed, ConnDOT unilaterally decided to implement New London service, which the report commended.[9] On February 1, 1996, two round trips per weekday were extended to New London. At that point, ridership was up 18% over 1991 numbers.[14]

A rush-hour Shore Line East train at Stamford

In January 2001, due to changes in Amtrak rules, passengers were no longer allowed to cross tracks to access trains. New platforms were opened on the south side of the tracks at Branford and Westbrook at approximately the same locations.[15]

In December 2001, a single morning rush-hour round trip branded SLExpress was extended to Stamford, with a stop at Bridgeport plus eastbound-only stops at Stratford and Milford. An evening eastbound trip was also extended to Stamford with only the Bridgeport intermediate stop.[16] This trip was intended to allow commuters to access employment centers in Bridgeport and Stamford without having to make a transfer at New Haven. On June 24, 2002, additional Stamford trains were added, for a total of two westbound and three eastbound trains.[17] When West Haven opened in August 2013, it was added to these trips as well.

In 2003, in order to add four additional Amtrak trips along the corridor, four of the then six round trips to New London were cut back to Old Saybrook. An agreement with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection limits service over the Old Saybrook-Old Lyme bridge in order to avoid inconveniencing recreational boaters. ConnDOT's agreement with Amtrak allowed commuters with monthly passes to ride certain Amtrak trains instead.[18] After criticism over the service cuts, ConnDOT began allowing commuters with multi-ride passes to board the selected Amtrak trains as well.

Improved and increased service

State Street Station in New Haven opened in 2002 near the city's downtown district

When started in 1990, Shore Line East was intended to be a temporary service. Except at Old Saybrook and New Haven, which were already served by Amtrak, the state constructed new stations – consisting of little more than bare wooden decks – for minimal cost. Since the service was started two months before the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed, the platforms were not built to be handicapped accessible. After a decade of service, with Shore Line East established as part of Connecticut's transportation system, the state began to upgrade the service. The basic stations have been rebuilt with high-level platforms to provide handicapped access and level boarding, parking lots have been expanded, and more trains have been added to the schedule.

A completely new station was also added to the line for traffic mitigation as part of the reconstruction of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. On June 7, 2002, State Street Station was opened in New Haven to provide better access to the downtown area than Union Station, which is half a mile away from the business district.[19]

The first station to be rebuilt was Old Saybrook, the busy eastern terminus of the line. The new high-level island platform and pedestrian bridge opened on November 1, 2002.[20] Old Saybrook had previous had only a single side platform serving a relatively small number of Amtrak trains; the rebuilt has two platforms serving three tracks, to allow Amtrak trains in both directions to stop or pass even while a SLE train is at the station.

Guilford station was rebuilt in 2004–05 with new high-level platforms connected by an overhead walkway

Beginning on May 24, 2004, construction of new platforms began at Clinton, Guilford, and Branford.[21] The rebuilt Clinton station opened on July 25, 2005, and the rebuilt Branford station opened on August 8, 2005; both consist of a single high-level platform on the south side of the tracks.[22] The new Guilford station, which has platforms on both sides of the tracks (connected by a pedestrian bridge) to allow for greater operational flexibility, opened on November 28, 2005.[23] Construction at Madison started on September 24, 2007, and finished with the opening of the rebuilt station platform on July 28, 2008.[24]

On October 8, 2007, reverse-peak and more midday service were introduced, which officials hailed as the beginning of Shore Line East as a true bidirectional system. Several existing express trains also began to stop at Guilford.[25] Since at least 2006, advocates had been calling for the establishment of weekend Shore Line East service.[26] A pilot of weekend service was run from November 17, 2007, to December 30, 2007, with six "Shopper's Special" round trips from Old Saybrook to New Haven. The trains were scheduled to connect with similar Metro-North specials at New Haven.[27] Year-round weekend service began on July 4, 2008, with 9 daily Old Saybrook – New Haven round trips on weekends. No weekend service was run to New London, but weekday service was increased as cross-honoring of multiple-ride and monthly tickets was added on two Amtrak trains.[28]

A weekend Shore Line East train arrives at New London in June 2013
Conflicts over closings of the Old Saybrook – Old Lyme bridge are the primary obstacle to full service to New London and further eastward expansion

The major obstacle preventing full New London service is the bridge over the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme. The drawbridge section is closed for a certain period of time to allow trains to pass, which prevents large boats from passing under. The Marine Trades Association opposes additional service, which would mandate more bridge closings. The 2003 agreement with Amtrak limited weekday traffic over the bridge to 2 SLE and 39 Amtrak trains until 2018, although it was revised in 2010 and 2013.[29] Since 2003, New London had been served by cross-honored Amtrak trains plus one or two dedicated SLE roundtrips.

On February 16, 2010, an additional round trip was extended to New London.[2] Three more were extended on May 10, 2010.[3] However, advocates for full service to New London said that Governor Rell failed to deliver on promises to New London, with one newspaper columnist writing that "she seems incapable of standing up to the marine trades lobby" regarding the bridge openings.[30]

In July 2012, Governor Malloy announced that 5 weekend round trips would be extended to New London beginning in April 2013. However, the extension was dependent on ongoing negotiations with the marine industry over mandated closings of the Old Saybrook – Old Lyme bridge.[31] Two weekday midday trips were added in May 2013, while weekend service began on June 1, 2013, after the application for additional bridge closings was approved by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.[32] By July, New London represented 26% of weekend ridership.[33] In December 2013, the state announced that ridership was up 35% for the year as a result of the increased service.[34] From 2009 to 2014, monthly New London ridership increased from less than 1,000 monthly passengers to approximately 5,000, accounting for a significant fraction of ridership increases on Shore Line East during that period.[35]

Four of the five intermediate stations between Old Saybrook and New Haven were rebuilt with accessible platforms between 2004 and 2008, but rebuilding at Westbrook was delayed due to environmental and cost issues.[36] No site was available until Westbrook and ConnDOT traded the new station site on Norris Avenue for a highway garage site off Route 145. The controversial land swap was begun in 2004 but was not finalized until 2006, and town operations were not moved to the Route 145 site until September 2011.[37] Site clearing began in November 2011, and ground was broken for the $14.4 million station in January 2012.[36][37] A new station with a larger 210-space lot and platforms on both tracks opened on March 25, 2014, with full bidirectional service to the station beginning on May 11.[38][39]

Future

A second platform is being constructed at Branford station (seen here in 2012) with opened planned for December 2015
M8 railcars (shown here) are planned to be used in Shore Line East service

In a 2007 report, ConnDOT outlined plans to turn SLE into a full-service bidirectional regional rail line, with full-day service and all trains extended to New London.[29] This involves incremental improvements, similar to those that have already been put into place. One of the first priorities is to add a second platform at all stations, which is mandated by the 2003 agreement with Amtrak.[29] New London, Old Saybrook, Guilford, Westbrook, and stops from New Haven Union Station west all have multiple platforms, while State Street has an island platform serving two tracks with plans for a second platform.

Branford is planned to be the first rebuilt station to be further renovated with a second platform. A $60 million bond in February 2011 included $16.5 million for a second platform and pedestrian bridge at Branford, $7.3 million for platform extensions at Guilford, and $11 million to add catenary wires to currently unwired sidings along the line. Construction on the new platform at Branford began in September 2013, and the Guilford work is under way as well.[40][41] As of September 2015, the new platform and pedestrian bridge at Branford are officially scheduled to open on December 18, 2015, but will likely be delayed into 2016 due to the previous harsh winter and other issues.[42] Bidding on a second platform and three-level parking garage at Madison, planned since 2009, was scheduled to begin in 2013 but did not occur.[24][43] Per the agreement with Amtrak, a second platform is planned to be added to Clinton station. The project was originally planned to start in early 2012, but has since been indefinitely delayed.[44][45]

Expansion of the original parking facilities is also necessary to meet demand at many stations, since many started with small lots suitable for just a few dozen cars. The rebuilt stations at Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, and Westbrook have larger lots than the 1990 stations, and a second lot with 272 spaces opened at Branford in June 2011.[46] A 585-space, three-level parking garage is eventually planned for Madison station.[24]

Although the route east of New Haven is electrified under Amtrak's 60 Hz traction power system, Shore Line East currently operates entirely with diesel locomotives. Once the full order of M8 railcars are in service, ConnDOT plans to use 24 to 32 cars for electric SLE service to reduce diesel emissions. The diesel trainsets will be moved to service on the Danbury or Waterbury branches, or to the planned Hartford Line from New Haven to Springfield.[29][47]

Westerly station is a possible future eastbound terminus of Shore Line East service

In April 2012, state officials released a report detailing possible sites for an infill station in East Lyme. Four sites were analyzed – two near downtown Niantic and two at Rocky Neck State Park.[48] Niantic had previously been a stop on the Clamdigger. As part of a bonding proposal made by Governor Malloy, $750,000 would be allocated for a new station at Niantic.[49]

The possibility of extending service eastward has also been considered. Several special trains operated to Mystic during the 2000 OpSail festival, the only such service to date.[4] In a 2001 report examining commuter rail for Rhode Island, RIDOT considered an extension of Shore Line East to Providence via Westerly (effectively restoring the Clamdigger service).[50] Ultimately, MBTA Commuter Rail service, which already ran to Providence as part of the Providence/Stoughton Line, was extended southward instead (although only to Wickford Junction). However, both RIDOT and SLE have long-term plans to extend their services to meet at Westerly. Extending SLE service would require negotiations with the US Coast Guard, the Marine Trades Association, and other stakeholders for increased use of the Thames River Bridge and the Mystic River bridge.[29] As part of Governor Malloy's thirty year transit plan, Shore Line East would be extended to Westerly at a cost of $200 million.[49] On February 1, 2016, the Connecticut Public Transportation Commission issued a report recommending extension of Shore Line East rail service to Mystic and Westerly as soon as possible.[51][52]

Rolling stock

A Shore Line East train at New Haven with two Mafersa coaches and a Shoreliner cab car

In contrast to the electric multiple units used on Metro-North's New Haven Line, which are also purchased in part by the state of Connecticut, all SLE trains are diesel push-pull trains.

SLE runs diesel service because Amtrak had not yet electrified the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Boston at the time service began. The original SLE service operated with 2 F-7s and 10 Pullman-Standard coaches purchased from Pittsburgh's PATrain.[53] The cab cars were refitted with head-end power generators, as the locomotives did not have this feature since the train had been steam-heated while operating in Pittsburgh. These cars were retired not long after service began, as SLE was intended to be temporary itself.

In 1991, ConnDOT purchased 12 Bombardier Shoreliner III coaches, similar to ones already used on the Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch and leased GP-38s and one GP-7W from Guilford Transportation Industries.[citation needed] In 1994 Amtrak rebuilt 11 of ConnDOT's surplus SPV-2000 diesel railcars into coaches, dubbed Constitution Liners.[54][55] In 1996, SLE took delivery of six GP40-2H diesels to replace the entire motive power fleet. These were later supplemented with GE P40DC Genesis diesels which were bought from Amtrak. By 2008, the Shoreliner coaches were moved to Metro-North and the Constitution Liners were retired, while a set of Mafersa coaches bought from Virginia Railway Express were put into service for SLE.

ConnDOT plans call for the Kawasaki M8 to replace most or all of the locomotives and coaches currently in service on Shore Line East in 2018. ConnDOT has proposed to use up to 32 M8's in SLE service as far as Old Saybrook; the diesel equipment will then be used on the Hartford Line and for New London service.[29] Limited direct service from Grand Central Terminal to Old Saybrook may be added once the M8s are in service.[56]

Active Roster

Builder and model Photo Built Number of Active units Power Notes
Locomotives
GE
P40DC 		1993 8 of 12 4000 hp Ex. Amtrak 833, 834, 836, 838, and 840–843. All are still in Amtrak paint with most units having the Amtrak logos patched over with paint and small "Connecticut Commuter Rail" logo stickers. 4 units were bought from New Jersey Transit (Numbers 4800–4803) in July 2015. It is unclear what sort of paint job (if any) that these will receive.
EMD
GP40-2H 		1996 5 of 6 3000 hp First locomotives bought new by Shore Line East. Numbered 6694–6699. 6695 is retired and is a parts source for the other 5 active units
Push-pull coaches
Mafersa coaches 1992 33 of 33 Non-powered Sold to Shore Line East in 2004. The cab cars numbered 1701–1719 odd numbers only, the trailer cars 1730–1774 even numbers only.

Station stops

Old Saybrook, which was renovated in 2002, is the eastbound terminus for most SLE trains
The new Madison station, opened in 2008
Milepost Station SLE service date Connections Notes
122.9 Disabled accessNew London Union Station February 1, 1996[14] Northeast Regional, Acela Express Limited service
105.1 Disabled accessOld Saybrook May 29, 1990 Northeast Regional Terminus for most trains
101.2 Disabled accessWestbrook May 29, 1990 New station opened on March 25, 2014
96.8 Disabled accessClinton May 29, 1990 New station opened on July 25, 2005
93.1 Disabled accessMadison May 29, 1990 New station opened on July 28, 2008
88.8 Disabled accessGuilford May 29, 1990 New station opened on November 28, 2005
81.4 Disabled accessBranford May 29, 1990 New station opened on August 8, 2005
72.7 Disabled accessState Street Station June 7, 2002[19] New Haven Line
72.3 Disabled accessUnion Station May 29, 1990 Northeast Regional, Acela Express, Vermonter
Shuttle, New Haven Line 		Terminus for most trains
69.4 Disabled accessWest Haven August 18, 2013 New Haven Line
63.3 Disabled accessMilford December 17, 2001[16] New Haven Line 2 eastbound trains per weekday
59.0 Disabled accessStratford December 17, 2001[16] New Haven Line 2 eastbound trains per weekday
55.4 Disabled accessBridgeport December 17, 2001[16] Northeast Regional, New Haven Line, Waterbury Branch Two round trips per weekday
33.1 Disabled accessStamford December 17, 2001[16] Northeast Regional, Acela Express, Vermonter
New Haven Line, New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch 		Two round trips per weekday

See also

Sources

  1. ^ a b "Transit Ridership Report: Third Quarter 2015" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Rell: NL to get second daily commuter train". The Day. February 4, 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  3. ^ a b "ALL aboard the Shore Line East!". The Day. February 4, 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  4. ^ a b "OpSail 2012 Schedule" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  5. ^ "OPSAIL 2000 CT". Connecticut Department of Transportation. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  6. ^ a b Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England. Branch Line Press. pp. 94–96. ISBN 0942147022.
  7. ^ "New Haven Sold to Penn Central – $145.6 Million Paid In Action Forced by Government". New York Times. January 1, 1969. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  8. ^ "AMTRAK ALTERS ROUTES, CUTS SERVICE TO MEET BUDGET". New York Times. August 27, 1981. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Final Report of the Task Force on Rail Service". Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research. February 1996. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  10. ^ Nixon, Amy Ash (31 March 1997). "End Of The Line?". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  11. ^ Daly, Matthew (11 March 1995). "Shoreline Lawmakers Question Railroad Cut". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  12. ^ Dee, Jane E. (11 November 1997). "Train Riders Facing Fare Hike". Hartford Courtant. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  13. ^ Public Safety Committee (6 July 1995). "AN ACT CONCERNING LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCES AND STATE AGENCY STUDIES". Connecticut General Assembly. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Rail Line Extended to New London". Hartford Courant. 2 February 1996. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Station Info". Rideworks Review. 8 January 2001. Archived from the original on 3 March 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d e "What's New". Rideworks Review. 17 December 2001. Archived from the original on 31 December 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  17. ^ "What's New". Connecticut Department of Transportation. 28 October 2002. Archived from the original on 20 November 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Where Commuters Come Last". New York Times. 30 December 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  19. ^ a b "New State Street Railroad Station Opens In Downtown New Haven". Rideworks Review. Summer 2002. Archived from the original on 26 March 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  20. ^ Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. p. 81. ISBN 9780942147087.
  21. ^ "Work on several Shore Line East stations scheduled to begin May 24th" (PDF). Rideworks Review. 17 May 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2005. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  22. ^ "What's New". Connecticut Department of Transportation. 8 August 2005. Archived from the original on 17 August 2005.
  23. ^ "Guilford Train Station Opens November 28th to Shore Line East Commuters". Connecticut Department of Transportation. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  24. ^ a b c "Record of Decision: Madison Shore Line East Railroad Station" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. March 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  25. ^ Libow, Gary (3 October 2007). "Shore Line East Adds Midday Trains, Times". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  26. ^ "Why Not Weekend Trains?". Hartford Courant. 3 September 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  27. ^ "New Holiday Weekend Rail Service to Start on Shore Line East". Connecticut Department of Transportation. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  28. ^ "Governor Rell Announces Weekend Shore Line East Rail Service Starting on 4th of July". Connecticut Department of Transportation. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  29. ^ a b c d e f "Expanding Rail Service" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  30. ^ Collins, David (17 February 2010). "Shore Line East expansion slips off the rails". The New London Day. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  31. ^ "Shore Line East Steaming Into New London". Hartford Courant. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  32. ^ Smith, Greg (17 May 2013). "Shore Line East expands train service". The Day. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  33. ^ "Strong Ridership Growth for Expanded Shore Line East New London Train Service" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  34. ^ Howard, Lee (13 December 2013). "Shore Line East ridership up 35 percent this year". The New London Day. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  35. ^ Stacom, Don (17 November 2014). "Shore Line East Trains Are Attracting More Riders". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  36. ^ a b Sipe, Corey (26 January 2012). "Westbrook Train Station Breaks Ground After Lengthy Delays". Montville Patch. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  37. ^ a b Coffey, Becky (25 June 2012). "New Westbrook Train Station Is Rolling Along". The New London Day. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  38. ^ "Ribbon Cut for Westbrook Train Station" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  39. ^ "Shore Line East Train Schedules" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. 11 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  40. ^ Mazzacane, Stephen M. (9 September 2013). "Work Begins on Branford Train Station Improvements". Branford Seven. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
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  42. ^ Ortiz, Juliemar (10 September 2015). "DOT confirms delayed finish of Branford train station, aims for December". New Haven Register. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  43. ^ Mazzacane, Steven (31 July 2012). "New Ethics Complaint Filed Against Meyer; Meyer Fires Back". The Branford Seven. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  44. ^ "Public Information Meeting Regarding Improvements to the Clinton Shore Line East Railroad Station". Connecticut Department of Transportation. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  45. ^ Garrety, Karina (9 April 2014). "Clinton Train Station on Hold". Harbor News. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  46. ^ Mazzacane, Steven (31 July 2012). "New North Side Platform and Overpass for Branford Train Station". The Branford Seven. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  47. ^ "Project Description: M-8 Rail Cars" (PDF). Connecticut General Assembly. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  48. ^ Reindl, JC (6 April 2012). "Niantic could be stop for railroad". The New London Day. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  49. ^ a b "$750,000 would go toward Niantic train station plan". The Day. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  50. ^ Edwards and Kelcey, Inc (July 2001). "South County Commuter Rail Service: Operations Plan" (PDF). Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  51. ^ Howard, Lee (1 February 2016). "Rail service to Westerly endorsed by state panel". The Day. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  52. ^ Stacom, Don (1 February 2016). "Panel Recommends Shore Line East's Next Stop: Rhode Island". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  53. ^ Bowen, Douglas John (November 1, 1990). "Commuter rail lines build and rebuild to meet rising demand". Railway Age  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 2012-12-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  54. ^ Simon, Elbert; Warner, David C. (2011). Holland, Kevin J. (ed.). Amtrak by the Numbers: A Comprehensive Passenger Car and Motive Power Roster – 1971–2011. Kansas City, Missouri: White River Productions. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-932804-12-6.
  55. ^ "Shore Line East". Trains. July 5, 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  56. ^ Stacom, Don (7 January 2016). "Shore Line East Will Send Trains To Hartford Line, Get New Fleet". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016.

Further reading

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