Another massive investment is coming to the Waterbury Rail Line that will make it easier for you to get around the Naugatuck Valley and the rest of the state. The Federal Transit Administration is awarding nearly $30 million to the Connecticut Department of Transportation which the state will use to improve accessibility on three stations along the Metro-North Railroad Waterbury Branch line, including Ansonia, Seymour, and Beacon Falls.
The upgrades are a culmination of years of hard work at the state level in conjunction with the NVCOG and advocates. We approved designating funds in the biennium budget last year for train station improvements with the help of Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Roland Lemar. I want to thank him for being a strong partner in delivering these much-needed upgrades to our community. Engineers from the DOT have been working all year on site design on this project.
Those upgrades will allow passengers with disabilities to use those stations and its facilities. Crews will be building high-level rail platforms and ramps, installing handrails, providing more equitable service, and making it easier to access jobs.
About 10% of travelers at the three stations mentioned above have some kind of disability. The Waterbury Branch Line connects daily commuters to Bridgeport, lower Fairfield County, New York City, as well as residents traveling throughout lower New England.
The All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) grant makes competitive funding available to finance capital projects to repair, improve, change, retrofit, or relocate train station infrastructure and facilities for rider accessibility and equity.
Back in July our commitment to the Waterbury Rail Line came to fruition when there was a big increase in train service coming through Ansonia and Derby. We have been fighting for these improvements for quite some time and this video details how far we have come. The rail investment has the potential to bring jobs, attract new business, and raise property values.
The Waterbury Branch Line provides service on the New Haven Line, connecting Waterbury and Naugatuck Valley communities to New Haven and New York City. It is the longest branch line of the New Haven Line system, consisting for 27.1 miles of track from Waterbury to Bridgeport.
|