HARTFORD, Conn. — Shore Line East commuter rail service will see significant service cuts and Metro-North’s New Haven Line will see a lesser reduction under the Connecticut state budget passed Tuesday by legislators.
The two-year, $51 billion budget passed the state House by a 139-12 margin and the Senate by a 35-1 vote on Tuesday. The budget, expected to be signed by Gov. Ned Lamont, includes a significant tax-rate cut for middle-class taxpayers, the CT Mirror reports.
The budget approves a proposal to cut Shore Line East service between New Haven and New London, Conn., to 44% of its pre-COVID service levels, while the New Haven Line will see a one-year cut of 14%, which would reduce service from 309 trains daily to 260, according to WTNH-TV. The cuts reflect current ridership that is 30% of pre-pandemic capacity on the Shore Line East and 86% on the New Haven Line, according to the CT Mirror.
New Haven Line funding would be fully restored in the second year of the two-year budget plan. The CTrail Hartford line will not see any cuts, thanks to solid post-pandemic ridership, CT Insider reports.
Specific trains to be cut have not been identified, but the plan puts Connecticut at odds with Metro-North, which had no plans for cutbacks. Cuts would take effect in July.
This is a long term problem for all commuter rail operators. With the reduction of people commuting to downtown office buildings service will have to be adjusted and at times cut to keep the service running. As long as the service meets the needs of most commuters it will most likely survive and could expand again if needed. If an agency chooses to run old full service without the revenue to run it they will risk loosing it all. It is much harder to restart a service from nothing rather than increasing an existing service.
The perfect way to bring back patronage…cut service.
Can’t keep running trains that aren’t supported by the riding public. They are only cutting trains for now. They could have raised rates which would please nobody. If the people start riding the trains again, they will bring trains back on as as needed basis. I am sure there are trains during the middle of the day that could be eliminated or consolidated without too much inconvenience.At least they aren’t just sitting on their hands waiting for the feds to save them…
I used to live in CT. When Weicker got an income tax, the politicians went WILD.
They’ve managed to scare away business (GE moved to Taxachusetts because of TAXES) by constantly raising taxes and now they’ve spent their way into a red hole.
Is it time to talk about electrifying the Hartford line?
Doesn’t sound like Connecticut is rolling in money for rail.