CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: June 5, 2014

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

GOV. MALLOY: INVESTMENT IN NEW HAVEN RAIL YARD FACILITIES DEMONSTRATES STATE COMMITMENT TO BEST-IN-CLASS COMMUTER LINE

      Governor Dannel P. Malloy today, joined by Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) Commissioner James Redeker and other state and local officials, led a tour of the New Haven Rail Yard, which is undergoing a $1.15 billion, multi-year upgrade and expansion.  Governor Malloy also announced that a fifth new power supply substation has been put  into service on the New Haven commuter rail line, adding more redundancy and increasing options to reduce the chance of future prolonged power failures.

      “I want to ensure riders have as safe and reliable a commute as possible.  That’s why we have invested, and will continue to invest, billions in our rail infrastructure to serve the people of Connecticut,” said Governor Malloy.  “We could not operate the New Haven Line – the busiest in the nation – without the New Haven Rail Yard.  This facility has served our rail system since the mid-1800s when trains first began operating in the Northeast Corridor.  This rebuilding and expansion is the best demonstration of our commitment to investing in new facilities, maintaining our rail assets and providing the best and safest possible service to Connecticut commuters.”

      Last Friday, the State Bond Commission, chaired by Governor Malloy, approved $80 million for the rail yard program.  The state funding will pay for a new warehouse for rail car components, storage tracks for rail cars, demolition of an old storage facility and a pedestrian bridge linking  Union Station and the yard, so that employees can more easily access the yard.

      “We have seen what can happen when there’s a major power failure on this railroad – disrupting service, inconveniencing commuters and the ripple effect into the local and regional economy,” said ConnDOT Commissioner Redeker, referring to last fall’s power outage on the New Haven Line in Mount Vernon, New York, which disrupted service for two weeks.  “We continue to make investments in our power supply and overall rail infrastructure, which are long overdue.”

      The tour began at the Rail Yard’s $215 million Component Change-Out Shop – an immense structure which can accommodate 13 cars on three tracks for changing out/replacing major components, such as HVAC units on top of the cars.  The shop has a 35-ton bridge crane and in-floor lifts that can lift cars individually or in pairs so that wheels, traction motors and other components on the underside of the cars can be removed and replaced.

      Last month, a fifth new power supply substation was put into service for the rail yard, adding more redundancy and increasing options to reduce the chance of future prolonged power failures.  The new “1086” substation was installed by United Illuminating Company, in partnership with ConnDOT.  Previously, the New Haven Rail Yard was powered by the Devon Supply Substation in Milford.  This new source of power to serve the New Haven Rail Yard and its electric switch heaters will allow additional redundancy and power options to maintain and operate the New Haven Line more efficiently and safely.

      “This substation will contribute to a robust public transportation system supporting growth and economic development in our state and region,” said John J. Prete, UI’s chief operating officer of electric operations.  “We’re pleased that we had the opportunity to work with our partners, including the DOT, Metro-North Railroad, the City of New Haven and others, to bring this project to completion.”

      The new substation powers the expanding New Haven Rail Yard where Connecticut’s growing fleet of new M-8 rail cars is maintained.  Of the 405 M-8 cars ordered, 360 have been delivered.  The remainder should be delivered by the end of the year, coinciding with the retirement of older cars – some of which have been in service for 40 years.  The New Haven Rail Yard Facilities Improvements Program began in 2005 and has been continuously evolving as operations, needs and technologies change – especially with increased ridership, the purchase of 405 state-of-the-art M-8 rail cars now being delivered, and the recently stepped up program to provide higher-speed intercity passenger service on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Line.

      Earlier this year, a new substation in Cos Cob (Greenwich) also went on line.  In addition, 80 percent of the overhead catenary power lines on the New Haven Line, which provide power to the trains themselves, have now been replaced.  The final phase of that project will begin in August and will be completed in May 2017.

      These investments, along with other improvements along the New Haven Line and its three branches to New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury, total more than $2.5 billion.  Ultimately, some 1,600 people will work at the rail yard, up from about 700 today.  Elements of the overall program now under way should be completed in 2016.  Other elements are in the design and planning stages and will be completed in ensuing years.