Connecticut will contribute $260 million in state bonding toward improvements to the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail corridor, as part of a $500-million plan to build a high-speed rail track through the heart of New England, Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced Tuesday.
The state’s share of bonding will be matched with an application filed for $220 million in federal funding for the rail corridor, which has already received $40 million in federal funding to double-track the 10-mile stretch between Newington and Berlin.
Connecticut’s segment of the rail improvements are part of a larger plan to extend high-speed passenger rail into Massachusetts and Vermont.
Rell said improvements in the corridor will include fixing existing stations, building new ones, and increasing the efficiency and frequency of freight and passenger service.
When complete, the project goal is to reduce the number of cars on the road by 4,000 each day; increase connectivity of rail and bus systems, especially the proposed Hartford-New Britain Busway; link to Bradley International Airport; and generate 4,000 jobs.
“The high speed rail project will remove one of the great impediments to economic growth in Connecticut – traffic congestion along the corridor. With high speed rail, our economic future improves exponentially and we can move forward with renewed confidence on a project that can create jobs and position Connecticut for sustained future growth,” House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan said in a statement.
