In anticipation of increased ridership over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced additional trains on the Hartford Line. Wednesday, November 23, the day before Thanksgiving, is expected to be the busiest day of the year for rail travel.

“We expect many people to be traveling, spending time with their loved ones, and enjoying Thanksgiving getaways in Connecticut,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Rail Administrator Richard Jankovich said. “Thank you to our rail partners, Metro-North Railroad, Amtrak, and TASI, for working with us to bring more trains into service. Together with CTDOT, they have stepped up to serve everyone in the state.”

“The CTDOT team will be ready to assist travelers at New Haven Union Station and Hartford Union Station throughout much of the extended holiday travel period,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. “It has become an annual tradition for our team to ensure customers have a safe and comfortable experience while riding Connecticut’s rail services during the busy Thanksgiving holiday.”

CTrail and Amtrak Hartford Line will operate a Saturday schedule on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, and a weekday schedule on Friday, November 25. Additional Hartford Line trains will be added to the schedule to accommodate the anticipated passenger volume. Three northbound and three southbound CTrail trains will be added to the schedule on Wednesday, November 23, Friday, November 25, and Sunday, November 27. To see the entire schedule, please visit HartfordLine.com.

While reservations are never required on CTrail Hartford line trains, passengers planning to ride an Amtrak Hartford Line train during the holiday should make a reservation before traveling through the Amtrak website or the Amtrak mobile app. Amtrak also announced that bicycle reservations on Amtrak Hartford Line trains would not be available during Thanksgiving week (November 21 - 28) due to expected high passenger volume and increased luggage and bags.  All Amtrak trains may reach capacity in this peak travel period and need more room to accept more riders. During this holiday, passengers using Amtrak multi-ride tickets such as monthly passes and ten-trip tickets should also make a reservation on board whichever Amtrak train they wish to use. Travel is encouraged early in the day to avoid overcrowding.

Additionally, Shore Line East will operate a weekend schedule on Thursday, November 24, a weekday schedule on Friday, November 25, and a weekend schedule on Saturday, November 26, and Sunday, November 27. Please visit ShoreLineEast.com for the most current New Haven Line schedules.

Metro-North Railroad will also operate special trains on the New Haven Line on Thursday, November 24, and will operate a modified Saturday schedule on Friday, November 25. Please visit Metro-North Railroad Schedules | MTA for the most current New Haven Line schedules.

While passengers are no longer required to wear masks on board trains or in stations, masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19. Anyone needing or choosing to wear one is encouraged to do so.

For information about all rail services in Connecticut, visit ctrail.com.