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CTRail Hartford Line to begin service June 16, 2018


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 03:22 PM

From NHHS Rail Program:

 

 

 

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CTrail Hartford Line Rail Service Scheduled to Launch June 16


 

 

 

Commemorative Inaugural Event to be Held Friday, June 15

 

 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced it will launch the Hartford Line rail service with an inaugural event on Friday, June15.  Following the commemorative event, free weekend train service will operate on Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17. Full, expanded weekday service will begin on June 18 with trains running approximately every 45 minutes during the morning and evening peak periods.  A total of 17 trains a day will operate between New Haven and Hartford and 12 trains will operate daily between Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts. The line will provide direct or connecting service to New York City, Boston and Vermont.

“This expanded service will transform travel options in the corridor between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts, and it will be a catalyst for economic development, and business and recreational travel.” said CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker. “Getting new service on this line has been a monumental undertaking that has taken years of intense coordination to ensure the successful opening of service.  I want to commend the team that has made this a reality. Even before the commencement of service, the State’s investment has already attracted new commercial and residential development and has become the latest engine driving Connecticut’s economy.”

CTDOT managed the full reconstruction of the rail line, including all new ballast, track, bridges, culverts, signals and grade-crossings.  New train stations and parking have been constructed in Wallingford, Meriden and Berlin. Trains will be able to operate at speeds as high as 110 miles an hour, and a trip from Springfield to New Haven will take 81 minutes. The project was financed by three federal grants and state funds.

“The Hartford Line will provide the most frequent train service delivered to date under the Federal Railroad Administration intercity passenger rail grant programs begun in the Obama administration. I commend the team at the DOT for the extraordinary job they have done to make what was once just a dream become a reality, Commissioner Redeker said. “The delivery of this new rail service is a model for the country and Connecticut should take immense pride in this achievement and celebrate not just the completion of the construction, but the beginning of a bright new transportation and economic development future for the state.”

 

Information about the new train schedules and fares can be found at www.hartfordline.com. Details of the June 15 event will be released incoming weeks. 

 

 

 

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Kevin Korell


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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 04:21 PM

Hartford, CT Courant, 4/17/18:

 


Hartford Rail Line Service To Start June 16

 

The long-delayed Hartford railroad line service will start on June 16, officials announced Tuesday.

 

 

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#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 25 April 2018 - 04:48 PM

New Haven Biz, 4/24/18:

 


Meriden, Wallingford hope commuter rail launch will bring economic boost

 

 

For Wallingford and Meriden officials, the new Hartford line, which the state announced last week would begin service June 16, is more than just a new transportation option.

 

 

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#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 10 May 2018 - 10:44 AM

 

 

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CTDOT PLACES ELECTRONIC SIGNS WITH RAIL SAFETY MESSAGES ALONG THE HARTFORD LINE CORRIDOR IN ADVANCE OF THE HARTFORD LINE RAIL SERVICE LAUNCH

 

Rail traffic between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield will increase significantly even before the launch of the Hartford Line on June 16th

On Wednesday, May 9, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced that it will place electronic signs which will display rail safety messages to drivers at street-level rail crossings along the Hartford Line corridor.

There will be a steady increase in rail traffic on the Hartford Line corridor throughout the month of June as the number of daily test trains will surge in preparation for the new Hartford Line service. The electronic signs will display messages that alert drivers to the increase in daily trains and remind them to obey traffic laws when navigating street-level rail crossings.

“With the increase in rail traffic, the Connecticut Department of Transportation wants to remind the public to obey the law at rail crossings. People may not always remember that trains cannot stop quickly. In fact, it can take a mile for a train to come to a complete stop. Drivers should never attempt to drive under or around a closing or closed gate at a street-level rail crossing,” stated CTDOT Commissioner James Redeker.

This initiative is part of CTDOT’s commitment to Operation Lifesaver – a national educational and awareness campaign around safety at railroad crossings.

Read the full CTDOT Press Release here.

For more information about the NHHS Rail Program visit  www.nhhsrail.com.
To learn more about the new CTrail Hartford Line passenger rail service, launching on June 16th, 2018, please visit  www.hartfordline.com.

 



Kevin Korell


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#5 KevinKorell

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Posted 22 May 2018 - 12:33 AM

NHHS e-mail:

 

 

 

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CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LAUNCHES ENHANCED 
HARTFORDLINE.COM WEBSITE FOR JUNE 16 NEW RAIL SERVICE

HartfordLine.com allows travelers to plan easily for upcoming travel 
and provides convenient access to schedule, fare and station information

 

(HARTFORD, CT) –Today, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) launched a full buildout of www.hartfordline.com, its website for upcoming CTrail Hartford Line passenger rail service. The fully loaded website provides future Hartford Line riders with information for service launch on June 16, 2018.

“Our enhanced Hartford Line website offers quick and easy navigation to trip planning, station information, schedules and fares. It also offers wide-ranging information about easy-to-reach destinations from the Hartford Line,” stated CTDOT’s Commissioner James Redeker.

The website features a trip planner for passengers to explore and review schedules and plan their travel. Hartford Line riders can look at options for daily commuting as well as special trips to games, concerts and other destinations. Further, the site offers handy information for connections to Shore Line East and the New Haven Line operated by Metro-North Railroad to plan travel to New York City and other destinations.

HartfordLine.com easily adapts to a variety of devices including mobile phones and tablets. It features Hartford Line news and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section that covers topics ranging from fares and ticket types as well as pets, bicycles and other useful details. 

Click here to view the full CTDOT Press Release.

 



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#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 07 June 2018 - 08:46 PM

WMAC Radio, Albany, NY, 6/7/18:

 


New Commuter Rail Service Between Springfield And New Haven Begins June 16

 

 

A new era in train travel begins next week in western Massachusetts and Connecticut with the debut of the long-awaited Hartford Line on June 16th

 

 

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#7 KevinKorell

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Posted 08 June 2018 - 06:29 PM

Connecticut Post, Bridgeport, CT, 6/7/18:

 


Train hits 110 mph in test run on Conn. tracks

 

 

Recent track improvements have allowed an Amtrak train to reach a top speed of 110 mph on the Hartford Line corridor.

 

The state Department of Transportation says the speed test runs were part of the final preparations for the launch of the Hartford Line between New Haven and Springfield, Mass.

 

 

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#8 Springfield Pete

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Posted 09 June 2018 - 01:54 PM

Back in April I posted my disappointment that the new CT Rail schedule provides no useful AM commuter service for folks working in Windsor, Windsor Locks, or Springfield.  The April schedule listed no Windsor Locks arrivals between 6:00 and 9:30 AM.  Based on the April schedule, it did not seem possible to squeeze in a Northbound train at an intermediate time.  

 

Now a revised schedule has been issued.  Still no Windsor Locks arrivals between 6:00 and 9:30 AM, but the primary Northbound commuter run to Hartford has been moved up by 37 minutes -- Hartford arrival shifts from 8:06 to 7:29 AM.  Now there is enough time for that run to be extended to Springfield, turn the equipment, and return to New Haven by 10:05 AM.   Good timing for connection to a Metro North train leaving for GCT at 10:23.

 

Primary funding for the new service came from Connecticut, not Massachusetts, so obviously Hartford service is a higher priority than Springfield.  But it seems there is a way to improve the service to Springfield (and 2 more CT towns) with no additional train sets or train crews.

 

By the way, Kevin noted last week that the new Amtrak schedule for this line was incomplete, with a number of trains missing from the schedule.  It looks like the CT Rail planners were just as incompetent as Amtrak -- their new schedule omits the Vermonter's Northbound and Southbound runs.



#9 KevinKorell

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Posted 09 June 2018 - 02:13 PM

Pete,

 

I noticed too that the Vermonter is not shown in the CTRail timetable.... however I think CTRail may have a good reason for that.  If one looks at the fare structure, tickets will be cross honored between CTRail and Amtrak trains, with the noted exception of the Vermonter.  So it could be that to avoid confusion over what Amtrak trains accept CTRail tickets, they omitted it.  Of course it would have been more prudent to include the Vermonter, but put it in a different color with footnotes explaining that this train accepts only Amtrak tickets.



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#10 KevinKorell

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Posted 12 June 2018 - 05:41 PM

Hartford, CT Courant. 6/12/18:

 


Despite New Commuter Line, Rail Upgrades Lag North Of Hartford

 

 

While the new Hartford Line will roll through several modern train stations when it begins service Saturday, passengers will have a less pristine view at stops north of the capital city.

 

 

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