Transportation Update: Governor Announces Plan to Invest in CT Rail System

Governor Lamont has announced a comprehensive plan to invest in Connecticut’s aging rail system. This program, called “Time for CT”, aims to provide more direct service, including reduced travel time and increased train frequency, over the next several years. The plan also includes investment in infrastructure, safety enhancements, and a new rail fleet.

The governor is hopeful that this plan will lead to statewide economic growth and environmental sustainability.

CT’s rail system is one of the busiest in the nation and the New Canaan Branch Line is the most heavily-used branch in the state. I am hopeful that this plan will include funding for improvements to the New Canaan Branch, which will see increased usage as people begin to commute and travel more frequently.

Check out the governor’s press release below for more details on this initiative.

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Governor Lamont Announces Time for CT: An Actionable Plan To Deliver Faster Trains and Improved Travel Time in Connecticut

(PRESS RELEASE)

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti today revealed TIME FOR CT, the actionable plan to deliver the Lamont administration’s vision for safe, reliable, and fast train service in Connecticut – saving people up to 10 minutes in their commutes by 2022. The plan also shows that with investment in infrastructure and the rail fleet, future super-express service will save people up to 25 minutes by 2035.

TIME FOR CT is an $8 to $10 billion comprehensive investment program that, with funding, can provide additional capacity and improve needs, frequency, and reliability throughout Connecticut. The benefits include:

• Save 10 minutes of travel time by 2022
• Reduce travel time by 25 minutes by 2035
• Use existing assets and stay within existing right-of-way
• Reduce impacts of climate change by attracting more people out of their cars
• Improve the resiliency of the New Haven Line
• Provide a new fleet for faster trip times and an improved passenger experience
• Improve access to education, jobs, and urban centers
• Support economic recovery from COVID through improved service
• Generate an estimated 45,000 direct construction jobs over 15 years

Full details on TIME FOR CT, including the New Haven Line capacity and speed analysis, the executive summary, and the TIME FOR CT rail map, have been published online at ct.gov/dot.

With funding, this plan can move forward. Improving the New Haven Line is just the beginning – it is a foundational first piece in the puzzle to connect all of Connecticut with faster, more frequent, and more direct rail service.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation will be looking to its partners at Amtrak, Metro-North, the labor and construction industry, the Federal Railroad Administration, and state and federal legislators to move TIME FOR CT forward. Total partnership is essential to realize the vision of new, faster, train service to both Grand Central Station and Penn Station, Governor Lamont and Commissioner Giulietti said.

Read Full Press Release

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As always, please contact me if you have any questions about these updates or any state government-related matter. I also encourage you to share this information with anyone who may find it useful.

Email: Tom.ODea@housegop.ct.gov

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