On March 20, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced that additional late night return rail and bus services will be provided for the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments, which will be held in the Hartford XL Center on Thursday, March 21 and Saturday, March 23.
Praised by Lamont as “a quick option for fans in the central Connecticut Corridor to avoid traffic and travel safely to our state’s capital city,” the CTrail Hartford Line service takes passengers into Hartford’s Union Station, directly in the heart of the city and only a short walk from the XL Center. Connecticut’s Department of Transportation announced that in addition to the additional service, Hartford Line Service ambassadors will be at Union Station in Hartford during both game days to answer questions and assist passengers with purchasing CTrail tickets.
NBC Connecticut reports that the train service will operate on its regular schedule both days, with additional passenger cars added to Amtrak trains running on the Hartford line for the games. Game one begins Thursday at 2 p.m. with Florida State playing the University of Vermont.
There will be an additional Hartford southbound departure after Thursday’s game, departing Hartford either at 12:15 a.m. or 30 minutes after the game, whichever is later. This train service will stop in Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford, State Street, and at Union Station in New Haven, Conn.
For northbound passengers, bus service will be provided from Union Station in Hartford departing also at either 12:15 a.m. or 30 minutes after the game. This bus service will stop at stations in Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Springfield, Mass.
