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

FOR RELEASE: November 8, 2018

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

CTDOT ANNOUNCES NEW CTrail HARTFORD LINE schedule EFFECTIVE Monday,

november 12, 2018

Schedule refinements allow for additional service to Springfield and weekday connecting service arriving in New York City before 9 a.m.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced that a new CTrail Hartford Line schedule will go into effect on Monday, November 12, 2018. The new Hartford Line schedule is not drastically different than the previous schedule, but does feature refinements that will provide more service between Hartford and Springfield as well as connecting New Haven Line service on Metro-North that arrives in New York City before 9 a.m.

The new schedule also covers operations during the upcoming holidays. Hartford Line trains will operate every day, but using a Saturday or Sunday schedule when the holiday (including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Day this year) falls on a weekday. Riders planning travel during these timeframes should visit www.hartfordline.com for the exact schedule.

Improvement in the new schedule came as a result of the completed installation of a second track between Hartford and Windsor, as well as schedule adjustments by Metro-North and Amtrak regional service.

The second track allows trains operating north of Hartford to pass each other quickly and efficiently, providing additional rail capacity and increasing reliability. Two sets of track now run the length of the Hartford Line corridor from New Haven to Windsor, except for a small portion of single track near Hartford’s Union Station which will be completed as part of the I-84 Hartford Project.

“The new Hartford Line schedule includes an additional trip extended to Springfield every day. We will now offer 24 daily weekday trips between Hartford and Springfield,” stated CTDOT Commissioner James Redeker. “Less than six months after the launch of the Hartford Line, we have increased service on the line and are closer to reaching the 2030 vision of rail passenger service in New England.”

The 2030 vision for the Hartford Line includes 50 trains per day between New Haven and Springfield, as well as new stations in North Haven, Newington, West Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Enfield.

The new schedule can be viewed at http://www.hartfordline.com/fares-schedules/

Hard copies of the schedule are available at all train stations along the Hartford Line corridor.