43 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

 

 

Hartford Business Journal: Redeker to Lead State's Launch of New Hartford Rail Line

 

Developers are jumping onboard a new rail line expanding service between New Haven and Springfield in May, which is an early measure of success for the new CTrail Hartford Line, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker.

 

Transit-oriented development along the line that's occurred in places like Meriden is positive, said Redeker, point man for a department with a lot riding on the roughly $769 million rail project expected to begin rolling new trains between Mother's Day and Memorial Day.

 

"For me, that is the No. 1 goal of transportation — it's the economy — and if it's happening before we even open, I'll check that box already," Redeker said when asked what he'll consider successful first-year measures for the Hartford Line.

 

He expects more economic development will follow as people discover the high-speed train service and developers respond with housing and other projects near stations. Transit-oriented development is already occurring or planned in Wallingford, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

 

"This stuff, it really takes time and it takes a few successes and then the word gets out and I think it will be transformative at that point," Redeker said.

 

He'll also consider the line successful if it gets about 585,000 riders in 2018.

 

Read the complete Hartford Business Journal news article here.

 

 

[KevinKorell]

Hartford, CT Courant, 1/22/18:

 

Hartford Rail Line Set To Open In May, But Fiscal Troubles Loom

 

The long-awaited $769 million New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line remains on track to start up in May, but the huge project still doesn’t have enough funding for completion and is facing new financing problems.

 

 

The latest

[CNJRoss]

CTrail news brief 3/12/18:

 

Hartford Line Train Testing

 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is gearing up for May launch of the CTrail Hartford Line passenger rail service! Qualification runs began last weekened and will occur this weekend along the corridor.

 

 

[KevinKorell]

Hartford, CT Courant,  3/27/18:

 

 

Commuter Rail Between Hartford And New Haven Begins In May — Are You Ready?

 

 

With the launching of a commuter train between Hartford and New Haven just weeks away, David Donohue was both excited at the prospect of bypassing I-91 on his daily commute, and slightly incredulous it had taken this long for the state to link its capitals of government and higher education by rail.

 

 

 

Story

[Springfield Pete]

The Hartford Courant article listed above describes a young man who plans to commute from his home in New Haven to his job in Windsor Locks, avoiding the rush hour traffic gridlock approaching Hartford.  Sounds like a good idea, until you check the schedule -- 26 northbound trains every day, but not one will be stopping in Windsor Locks between 6:00 and 9:30 AM.   Same problem applies to anyone hoping to commute North to Springfield, which has many banking & insurance jobs in the downtown area.  No trains arriving there between 6:30 and 10:00 AM.

 

Of course there are more potential commuters to Hartford and New Haven than to Windsor Locks and Springfield.  But if the initial service is well patronized, and a financial success, later on a third train set could be added (maybe with funding from Massachusetts) to cover a northbound run leaving New Haven around 6:30 AM and arriving Springfield around 7:50.   Unfortunately, it doesn't seem possible to squeeze in a Springfield run with the initial 2 trainsets and still maintain convenient times for commuters going to Hartford and New Haven.      

[KevinKorell]

Well, if they intended to serve the Springfield job market, they would have called it the Springfield Line.    I see that the number of trips that Hartford Line promised includes the Amtrak operated trips as well, and that although the number of Amtrak trips increased over what is offered now, the commuter trips were sandwiched in between.   To make best use of the equipment, some of the Hartford Lines turn at Hartford rather than running the full trip up to Springfield.   

 

Are there only 2 trainsets on the property, or do they have a third one as protection in the event something happens to one of them?  Otherwise I fear they will experience some missed trips,  which will be bad for the customer base they need to build.

[KevinKorell]

Hartford, CT Courant, 4/4/18:

 

Rail Car Repairs, Leasing Issues Put Hartford Line Start Date in Doubt

 

Most of the 16 aging Massachusetts rail cars Connecticut is leasing for the new Hartford Line for $4.45 million are still undergoing mandatory safety and mechanical upgrades, putting the state’s long-promised May launch of the commuter service in jeopardy.

 

 

Not good.... possible opening date slippage.   More here.

[CNJRoss]

Hartford (CT) Courant, 4/6/18:
 

DOT Blaming Amtrak For Decision To Lease 30-Year-Old Rail Cars for Hartford Line

 

 

Connecticut officials are blaming their decision to lease aged rail cars from Massachusetts for the new Hartford Line commuter service on Amtrak’s failure to complete electrification of the Shore Line East railroad.

 

The reason Amtrak wasn’t able to complete the Shore Line East electrification, according to Department of Transportation officials, is that Amtrak crews were too busy getting the Hartford Line ready for operation.

 

SNIP

 

The cars are now 30 years old and possible delays in making mandatory safety and mechanical upgrades could postpone the promised May 2018 start of the Hartford Line service.

 

The DOT’s original plan for commuter cars on the long-awaited $769 million commuter service between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield called for switching Shore Line East diesel cars and locomotives to run on the new Hartford Line.

 

More here.

[KevinKorell]

Yes this confirms what I was thinking.... that although they have recently set their sights on rehabilitated MBTA cars, that they had been first considering using fleet from Shore Line East.  I didn't realize that this was contingent on more electrification, or that the plan was to use Metro North M-8 cars on SLE which would then free up diesel equipment for the Hartford Line.

 

At any rate, April 19th (less than 2 weeks away) is the day that Governor Malloy is supposed to announce something, so by then hopefully we'll know more about the target opening date.  

[KevinKorell]

Hartford, CT Courant, 4/12/18:

 

 

​

DOT: All Hartford Line Locomotives Won't Be Ready Until June

 

The last of the four rebuilt locomotives Connecticut transportation officials say are needed to operate the new Hartford Line commuter service won’t be ready until early June, according to documents supplied to lawmakers this week.

 

Story