Press Releases
11/16/2020
Safe Thanksgiving Travel: Coaches Added to CTrail Hartford Line & Shore Line East, and Amtrak; Service Expanded on Hartford Line
Today, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced additional CTrail Hartford Line service and additional coaches on Amtrak, CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line East trains to better accommodate social distancing for passengers that might be traveling this Thanksgiving holiday.
“While many families may be changing their traditional Thanksgiving plans this year because of the pandemic, we want those who will be traveling this holiday to know that their health and safety is our top priority,” said CTDOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. “We are taking every precaution possible to keep you safe.”
The Department will add eight additional CTrail Hartford Line trains on Friday, November 20, Tuesday, November 24, Wednesday, November 25 and Sunday, November 29. The added CTrail Hartford Line trains will operate between New Haven Hartford and Springfield, generally running 15-35 minutes after scheduled Amtrak trains. Many Amtrak Hartford Line trains are expected to be sold-out through advance reservation sales and may only accept Amtrak tickets. CTrail ticketholders and U-Pass riders wishing to board Amtrak trains should consider the additional CTrail trains on these dates.
The Department has increased the cleaning of trains and station facilities to keep frontline employees and passengers safe. Passengers must wear a mask or face covering and practice social distancing at stations and onboard trains. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends six feet from others, when possible. Seating on board Amtrak and CTrail trains is limited to 50% capacity. These preventative measures will help maintain a safe and healthy travel experience. If you are feeling sick, please do not use public transportation.
Passengers planning to ride Amtrak between November 20 and November 30 should make an Amtrak reservation prior to travel. CTrail tickets will not be accepted on Amtrak Northeast Regional Trains.
Traveling early in the day is recommended on CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line East trains. To see the Hartford Line schedule, please visit www.hartfordline.com. To see the Shore Line East schedule, please visit www.shorelineeast.com. For information about all rail services in Connecticut, visit www.ctrail.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONE: 860-594-3003
WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CTDOTOfficial