NEWINGTON, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Transportation has finalized its plans for commuter rail cuts and fare increases, the New Haven Register reports, with only one significant change from the DOT’s original proposals.
The changes will result in a total decrease of 21 trains per week on Metro-North’s New Haven, New Canaan, and Danbury lines, as well as the Shore Line East commuter service between New Haven and New London, Conn. The Shore Line East will see the largest number of cuts, as was the case in the proposal issued in September [see “Connecticut to hold hearings on rail schedule changes …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 2, 2023]. But, reflecting riders’ responses, the state will retain one more daily Shore Line East round trip than was in its original plan.
“I appreciate residents attending hearings, sending emails, and writing letters to let us know their thoughts,” Benjamin Limmer, Connecticut DOT bureau chief of public transportation, said in a press release. “That feedback was invaluable. Public transportation is vital in helping people get to where they need to go safely and efficiently. The train schedules starting this year and the bus service enhancements beginning in 2024 reflect the public input we heard based on ridership patterns and service demands, while also living within the budget resources available.”
The new schedules are available here. Changes to Metro-North schedules will be effective Oct. 29, while a date for the new Shore Line East schedule is pending both Amtrak approval and conclusion of a current construction project that has modified Shore Line East schedules [see “Connecticut’s Shore Line East set for schedule changes …,” News Wire, Aug. 31, 2023]. New fares, increasing by an average of 4.5%, take effect Nov. 1.
