Hartford Line Improvement Program

The Hartford Line Rail Program has benefited from consistent federal support, since the inception of the Program. The State of Connecticut received $204.8 million in Federal funding to support infrastructure improvements required to initiate Hartford Line Service in June of 2018. These initial funds enabled critical infrastructure upgrades such as over 24 miles of double tracking between North Haven and Windsor, construction of new stations in Wallingford, Meriden, and Berlin, upgrades to the existing New Haven State Street station and Hartford Union Station, as well as planning studies and conceptual designs for additional future stations.

More recently, the federal government has significantly expanded its rail infrastructure investments in Connecticut through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) and Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail for the Northeast Corridor (FSP-NEC) grant programs.  FRA grants valued at $17.5 million and $13.9 million under the CRISI program are currently supporting new station and track construction in Windsor Locks and Enfield, respectively.  Additional FRA grants under the FSP-NEC grant program valued at $206.9 million have been awarded for additional Hartford Line track improvements in West Hartford, Windsor Locks, and Enfield.

These funds, part of a broader $2.3 billion federal commitment to modernize rail infrastructure statewide, have been instrumental in transforming the Hartford Line into a modern, reliable regional rail corridor.

Since the inception of the Hartford Line Rail Program, CTDOT has played a foundational role in securing and deploying funding to support infrastructure upgrades, station construction, and service expansion. The state has committed over $1 billion to match federal grants and initiate key phases of the program, including double tracking, signal improvements, and new station development. These contributions enabled the launch of Hartford Line service in June 2018, which more than doubled train frequency along the corridor, are providing funding for the construction of new stations in Windsor Locks and Enfield and funding the design and rights-of-way acquisition for additional track improvements.

Connecticut’s sustained investment has enabled long-term planning and implementation of transformative rail initiatives.  In 2025, CTDOT was awarded an initial federal grant of $500,000 under the FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development (CID) program, to address safety upgrades, fiber optic infrastructure, and a Service Development Plan (SDP) for the corridor. These efforts reflect CTDOT’s sustained commitment to modernizing Connecticut’s rail infrastructure and integrating it into a broader New England transportation vision. 

The Hartford Line is funded through multiple state and federal sources.

These are as follows:

• Phase I: Meriden-Newington COST: $123.1 million ($40m Federal/$83.1m State)
• Phase 2: New Haven-Hartford COST: $322.9 million ($120.9m Federal/$202m State)
• Phase 3A: Windsor COST: $114.4 million ($30.0m Federal/$84.4m State)
• State Street Station: New Haven COST: $18.2 million ($10.0m Federal/$8.2m State)
• Hartford Rail Alternatives Analysis: Hartford COST: $4.2 million ($3.4m Federal/$0.8m State)
• Meriden TOD & Other Costs: Various Locations COST: $72.3 million ($72.3m State)
• Phase 3B Design: West Hartford, Windsor-Enfield COST: $37.5 million ($37.5m State)
• Phase 3B Construction: West Hartford, Windsor-Enfield COST: $294.5 million ($206.9m Federal/$87.6m State)
• Phase 4 Design: (N. Haven, W. Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Enfield) COST: $61 million ($61m State)
• Phase 4 Construction: (N. Haven, W. Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Enfield) COST: $414.8 million ($36.7m* Federal/$378.1m State)

*CTDOT continues to apply for additional Federal funding to support future Station improvements.