The state Department of Transportation has announced that it plans to request a $65 million allocation for a new train station in downtown Windsor Locks.
First Selectman Christopher Kervick said DOT officials hope the request will be heard during the Aug. 30 State Bond Commission meeting.
According to the DOT, the new Hartford Line station, which is to replace the current train station on the south end of town, will feature improvements that will increase usability. The department characterized the existing station, located outside of downtown with no neighboring businesses, as “antiquated” and in an undesirable location.
“Relocating the station to downtown and increasing the length of the station platform to provide full (Americans with Disabilities Act) level boarding for all passenger cars will make the station inviting and further increase ridership,” DOT officials wrote their request.
The new station will feature track, crossing, and signal upgrades, which are meant to improve function of the main railway as well as a highway crossing to the south of the station, officials said.
The project plans also include nearby roadway improvements and a multi-use trail connecting the station to the Canal State Park Trail.
Local officials have been pushing for the state to relocate the station for over 10 years, with state officials agreeing to the project under previous First Selectman Steven Wawruck. A study commissioned by the town labeled relocation of the station as the top priority for transit-oriented development on Main Street, Kervick said.
“Since then, the town has been anxious to see the plan implemented, as its downtown revitalization plans center around the move,” Kervick said, noting that state budget shortfalls have delayed the project but “DOT has never wavered on its commitment.”
DOT plans to hold a public information session on Sept. 19 to explain its plans. Kervick said more details on that event are to be announced.
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