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

FOR RELEASE: November 13, 2017

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

November 17, Through Sunday, November 19

Buses to be substituted for Trains during Work Period

      The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing that from Friday evening, November 17, through Sunday, November 19, rail service will be suspended to accommodate the removal of overhead catenary wires on the Danbury Branch Line. Buses will be substituted for trains between South Norwalk and Danbury during this period.

      To view the bus schedule for this outage, visit:    http://web.mta.info/mnr/pdf/DanburyBusing1117.pdf

      This project, known as the Danbury Branch Dockyard Project, will electrify the southern portion of the Danbury Branch, where it splits from the mainline, to the crossing at Jennings Place, approximately one mile north in the area, formally known as the Dockyard in Norwalk.   The Project will support operation on the New Haven Line by providing the midline yard location where trains can layover when not in use on the mainline.

      The Project also includes the addition of two new track sidings, track replacement, signal work, new catenary systems, structures, and the replacement of the rail bridge superstructure over Ann Street. The superstructure replacement will include new weathering steel deck spans, which will maintain the 19^th century character of the bridge.

      Commissioner James Redeker commented on this project by saying “As one of the first construction projects in the Walk Bridge Program, the Danbury Branch Dockyard’s construction paves the way for more reliable service for the New Haven Line and Amtrak’s northeast service.”

      The Danbury Branch Dockyard project is being implemented as part of the Walk Bridge Program, a series of projects that will facilitate the replacement of the 121-year old movable bridge over the Norwalk River. 

      The existing Walk Bridge, constructed in 1896, currently carries approximately 200 trains and 125,000 passengers daily, and ridership is projected to double by 2065. The Walk Bridge is part of the busiest rail corridor in the nation, the Northeast Corridor, and is one of the oldest movable bridges on the Corridor

      When complete, the new Walk Bridge will provide a vital link in the regional passenger and freight rail system improving performance, reliability, and safety. The new bridge will also improve navigation on the Norwalk River, support continued economic growth, and provide community and environmental benefits.