BRANFORD, Conn. — A feasibility study conducted by the Connecticut Department of Transportation looks at what would be needed to add additional rail stops east of New London to the Rhode Island state line.
In addition, the study looks at using existing freight rail lines for passenger service from New London to Norwich as well as adding a train station in Groton and Stonington.
The proposed expansion would come with a hefty price tag if it becomes a reality.
“The findings show there could be demand, a threshold to sort of meet a demand of expanding public transportation in the area, but it would cost a billion dollars, maybe more,” said Josh Morgan, a spokesperson for CT DOT.
The study also looks at what it would take to add bus routes in eastern Connecticut including connections to train stations for Shore Line East passengers.
The proposed expansion faces additional hurdles besides a large capital investment, like improvement to infrastructure.
“When we’re talking about railroad bridges, the standards for freight rail lines are much different than what they are for passenger rails. Freight rail moves at a much slower speed than what people would ever want to travel on a train car,” said Morgan.
Earlier this year, Governor Ned Lamont approved cutbacks on the number of trains operating on Shore Line East due to low passenger demand since the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the change in the number of trains, some passengers say it has created more frustration.
“I actually got tripped up by this. This trip was supposed to be yesterday, but it ended up being today because I was running around looking for trains that didn’t exist,” said Andrew Warshall, a Shore Line east passenger from New Haven.
“This is a first step, this is just scratching the surface. It’s a very high-level study saying there could be a billion dollars or more of infrastructure needs, improvements needed to realize some of these scenarios that are presented in this study, but it’s going to require further study,” said Morgan.
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CT DOT is taking public comment on the study until October 20.
A second round of public meetings is scheduled for December before a final version of the study is submitted to state lawmakers.
For a full look at the study and how you can comment on the findings click here.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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