Connecticut Department of Transportation

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NEWS RELEASE
2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546
NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546
FOR RELEASE: November 16, 2018
CTDOT ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SEATS ON SHORE LINE EAST, CTRAIL HARTFORD LINE AND AMTRAK HARTFORD LINE SERVICES FOR THANKSGIVING WEEK
CTDOT has worked with Amtrak, which maintains Shore Line East and Hartford Line rail fleet, to add rail cars to most trains
(NEWINGTON, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced rail cars have been added to Shore Line East and Hartford Line trains in anticipation of the busy Thanksgiving travel period.
All Shore Line East and CTrail Hartford Line trains will operate as 4-car trains. Further, CTDOT has assigned one 4-car train to Amtrak for use on the Hartford Line through Thanksgiving weekend. This will allow Amtrak to reallocate its rail cars to increase capacity on other Amtrak Hartford Line trains. These changes will ease overcrowding and meet holiday travel demand at one of the busiest travel times of the year.
“Train travel is a popular option for Connecticut’s residents, evidenced by the enormous success of Hartford Line. Hartford Line has surpassed its first-year ridership projections in just the first few months of service. As we head into the busy Thanksgiving holiday period, we expect busy stations and crowded trains. The steps we are taking today seek to make train travel more efficient and enjoyable for the public,” stated CTDOT Commissioner James Redeker.
Additionally, CTDOT will be deploying managers to key stations on Wednesday, November 21, the day before Thanksgiving and Sunday, November 25. These CTDOT team members will assist customers and coordinate with Amtrak and its other service providers to ensure the best possible service.
Shore Line East and Hartford Line trains will operate every day during the holiday season. Shore Line East will run on the weekend/holiday schedule on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23. Hartford Line will follow the Saturday schedule on Thursday, November 22  and the regular weekday schedule on Friday, November 23. For additional information, please go to www.shorelineeast.com or www.hartfordline.com.