HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont wants to reduce Metro-North travel times to and from New York by up to 15 minutes, part of a $5 billion plan to upgrade commuter rail service in the state, the Hartford Courant reports.
The commuter-rail plan is part of a larger transportation package, yet to be unveiled, which would spend more than $18 billion on everything from measures to reduce traffic congestions to improving regional airports.
A spokesman for the governor said that the rail proposal will include rebuilding Metro-North’s route between Greenwich and New Haven, Conn., eliminating curves to reduce travel time.
“The fact that it takes 10, 15 minutes longer to take that train [to New York] than it did a generation ago is a real killer,” Lamont told retailers in a Wednesday meeting in Hartford.
The full package would include the purchase of 100 new railcars for use on the Metro North, Shore Line East, and Hartford lines, as well as other upgrades on the latter two lines. He envisions upgrades of the Metro North’s Waterbury branch that would allow through service to New York; that branch is currently the only one requiring passengers to change trains.
10 minutes twice daily, or most of 2 hours per week, times thousands of riders probably is cost effective.
I’ve heard murmurs of new duel powered units being considered. The Waterbury branch was once electrified and could probably due with more service as it historically had.
Track speed on the New Haven line is certainly well below what it was before Metro-North existed. There is also an engineering plan on the books for additional high-speed tracks between New Haven and New York using the right of way of interstate 95. I’m not sure if that plan is part of the governor’s approach but I hope so.
There is also this interesting post by Alon Levy:
https://pedestrianobservations.com/2019/10/14/how-fast-new-york-regional-rail-could-be/
He posits that the existing alignment could be speeded up as-is to get New York – New Haven to about an hour and twenty minutes (45 minutes New York – Stamford).
The Waterbury branch is not electrified. Since the lovely old dual power EMD FL-9s are gone, I imagine that the plan is to electrify it. That part of the job wouldn’t really be that hard.
To some of Mr. Landey’s comments, though — he’s absolutely right on the problems with the line from Greenwich to New Haven. The right of way costs to reduce the curvature alone will be astronomical (if you want a good chuckle, check the line on Google Earth).
Charles – To add to your comment, the photo with this article and my memory says that the Waterbury Branch is not electrified, so how to arrange “through service?”
Well, good luck in a near- bankrupt state – a state often listed as the Number 1 in personal income but whose government in Haahtfid can’t balance the books and keeps getting worse.
The route between New Haven and Greenwich is totally urbanized and has other obstacles such as Route 95 which parallels the railroad the whole way and crosses the railroad a number of locations. How Mr. Lamont hopes to eliminate enough curves to lower the travel time by 15 minutes escapes me.
BTW read the article. Mr. Lamont says the trains run slower than a generation ago. What am I missing? Was the route more straight a generation ago than it is now? Did the route suddenly develop curves like a twelve-year-old girl? I actually don’t get it.
Connecticut, like California, has done some great things with substantial incremental improvements to rail service. Connecticut don’t blow it like California has by reaching for the moon instead of continuing its incremental course.
Prior to boo boo in Bridgeport, a trip to grand central use to take an hour and 45 minutes. Well, the lack of maintenance caught up with them, and they were forced to slow the trains. Now it takes over 2 hours. The line does need a total rebuild. Take Amtrak south of New York, and you will see the trains are faster and smoother. With fare hikes in 5 consecutive years, the passengers deserve better.
I can understand that parts of the lines need rebuilding or improvements but if its going to cost billions to eliminate some curves to save 10 minutes [I use that number since politicians always overestimate results] that doesn’t sound cost effective.
Unless there are not enough dual power GEs. There is no reason why there cannot be Waterbury to GCT through service.