Biden Administration Awards $291 Million for Connecticut Rail Projects

By Garnet McLaughlin

November 26 @ 9:00 am

The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded Connecticut $291 million from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will be used for railroad improvements at five projects across the state.

These investments will be matched by $120 million in state funds through the Department of Transportation, and $11.7 million from Amtrak.

Sen. Christine Cohen, a Guilford Democrat who co-chairs the legislature’s Transportation Committee, said she was encouraged to see the federal government dedicate substantial funding for rail projects.

“Investing in public transportation has been one of my top priorities in the legislature and these projects will support reliability and ultimately increase ridership,” Cohen said. “Robust public transportation infrastructure creates connectivity, decreases our reliance on fossil fuels and offers riders safe and reliable means of transportation.”

The projects that have received federal funding include:

-$172 million for Track Improvement and Mobility Enhancement: The project is for construction activities supporting the installation of 88 catenary structures, addition of four new crossovers, and replacement of the Longbrook Avenue Roadway bridge along a three-mile segment of New Haven Line Main Line, which passes through Bridgeport, Stratford, and Milford.

-$102 million for Hartford Line Rail Program Double Track Project: The project is for the construction of track improvements along 6.7 miles of existing track in West Hartford, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. The improvements will establish a double track along this corridor to provide more frequent passenger service to Hartford and Springfield. Other improvements include track upgrades and installation, signal upgrades, and gate and road crossing upgrades.

-$8 million for the Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project: This funding will be used for a planning-level study for the replacement of the 117-year-old Connecticut River Bridge on the Amtrak-owned New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor in Windsor Locks.

-$6.4 million for Cos Cob Bridge Replacement Study: The project is for planning activities to determine the best course of action in replacing the 120-year-old, movable Cos Cob Bridge over the Mianus River in Greenwich.

-$2.56 million for Hartford Station Relocation Project: The project is for planning construction of a new Hartford train station and multimodal hub with associated realignment and double-tracking of 2.1 miles of the Hartford Line in Hartford.

These projects were among a total of $1.5 billion awarded for projects along the Northeast Corridor, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to make good on its promise to deliver the long-awaited, much-needed investments to modernize this critical route,” Buttigieg said. “With the nearly $1.5 billion in funding we’re announcing today, we’re upgrading our rail infrastructure to support our economy and make service safer, faster, and more reliable for hundreds of thousands of passengers who depend on this route.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program funds capital projects that reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service, including privately operated intercity passenger rail service.