Connecticut will receive $291 million from the federal government for railroad improvements at five projects across the state, state officials said Friday.
The funding, which was awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), comes from the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed by Congress in 2021 and considered a major win for the Biden administration.
Connecticut’s share of funding represents 20% of the total $1.4 billion in grants the FRA awarded Friday for rail projects along the Northeast Corridor, officials said.
In addition, the investment will be matched by $120 million in state funds from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and $11.7 million from Amtrak, officials said.
“The projects these grants are funding will help pull Connecticut’s rail system into a new era and boost reliability while supporting the economic growth of our state,” said Gov. Ned Lamont.
Here’s how the funds will be used:
- $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 the 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.
