Time to Modernize the Danbury Rail Line

November 19, 2021

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – a more than $1 trillion federal plan to fix the nation's aging infrastructure – is expected to deliver about $5.38 billion to the State of Connecticut.

Now, the state must determine how to best use these dollars and that's why I am asking the CT Department of Transportation to allocate a portion of the funds for upgrades and improvements to the Danbury Branch rail line. [ Patch: Local Legislators Push To Fund Danbury Branch Train Line ]

This week I led a bipartisan effort calling on the DOT to prioritize two major improvements to the Danbury Branch Line:

  • Electrifying the existing rail line between the South Norwalk and Danbury Stations
  • Extending passenger rail service from Danbury to New Milford

Click HERE to read our letter to the DOT.

In operation since 1852, the Danbury rail line still uses diesel-powered trains. By electrifying the tracks, the Danbury line will tie in seamlessly with the electrified Metro-North New Haven Line. And extending service to New Milford just makes sense.

Commuter rail should be convenient, reliable, fast, and affordable. In addition to supporting Connecticut's infrastructure needs – these federal funds will improve the region's economic vitality by relieving road congestion, reducing our carbon footprint, and increasing home values.