trains

Connecticut paid thousands of dollars to upgrade the old train cars it leased from Massachusetts to revive the Hartford Rail Line. Now Massachusetts wants them back.

The rail service between New Haven and Springfield almost did not launch on time in 2018. Connecticut lacked the cash to buy new rail cars, so the state leased 30-year-old cars from Massachusetts instead.

There's been a lot of debate about a new study from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on expanded rail service between the eastern and western parts of the state.

The study says the cheapest option would have about 36 daily riders, and the most expensive just over 800. Those figures have been widely criticized by proponents.

Wednesday marked the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In East Haven, The Shore Line Trolley Museum commemorates the day with a special permanent display. The museum has one of two subway cars that survived the collapse of the World Trade Center. 

A series of events in and around Hartford this Saturday night is expected to create major traffic headaches. But the Department of Transportation is reminding eventgoers that there are options out there besides getting in your car and contributing to the gridlock.

Connecticut officials this week marked the one year anniversary of the Hartford Line commuter rail service which stretches from New Haven to Springfield. And the Department of Transportation is touting the first year as a success -- despite teething problems -- saying ridership for the year exceeded 634,000 passengers, about 50,000 more than projected. 

Starting this week, there is no longer a train that can get travelers from Hartford, Connecticut, into Springfield, Massachusetts, before 9:00 a.m. 

The state wants to add new train cars to the Hartford Line, the commuter rail line that runs between Springfield and New Haven.

Have you taken a ride on the bright red Hartford Line? The commuter rail service debuted last summer, a recent project of the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

But rail is just one mode of transportation in a state known for congestion and aging infrastructure.

This hour, we sit down with new DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. Giulietti is a Connecticut native, who most recently served as President of Metro North.

Senator Richard Blumenthal has condemned Metro-North and many other railroads for failing to implement Positive Train Control safety technology. Only four of more than 40 railroads have installed the technology which can control train speeds and prevent collisions and derailments in the event of human error. 

Hartford firefighters and other area first responders went through a simulation of a head-on train collision Saturday.

New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield are now connected by rail service. The inaugural trains left Friday morning from Springfield and New Haven, meeting in Hartford for a ceremony to mark the opening of the revived line.