Hartford Line CtDOT New Haven-Springfield - NHHS (Before Launch of Service)

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The Hartford Line will run 17 trains a day between New Haven and Hartford, with stops in Wallingford, Meriden and Berlin. Stations are planned for North Haven, Newington and West Hartford.

Twelve of those trains will continue on to Springfield, with stops in Windsor and Windsor Locks. An Enfield station is also planned.

The long-term plan is to fully double-track the line from Hartford to Springfield, and to increase the schedule to 25 trains a day along the entire route. At that point, the system will be carrying 1 million riders a year, Malloy projected.
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http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Connecticut must acquire trains and hire an operating company to run them. Redeker said Tuesday that the Department of Transportation would name its operating contractor in November.

So we'll know soon enough who the operator will be. Any bets?

I wish Amtrak will get it.

CDOT of America...final answer.

Not that I think said person who coined that phrase would lower himself to run commuter service again

Does anyone know if Keolis put a bid in? Not that I'm biased towards any one operator, just curious

several bidders Keolis, Veolia, Bombardier, Amtrak, maybe even HRRC (they were at meeting)

Lets hope the HRRC bid was REJECTED .

I almost wonder if they (HRRC) have something else up their sleeve. I doubt they put a bid in, but if they sat in the meeting, they may have something else in mind. I just find it hard to believe that a railroad with no passenger experience would try to make the jump to operating a major commuter route, even more so with them being on the State's 'naughty' list. Unless they have something to prove in regards to the passenger B.S. from a couple years ago, which has been pretty quiet lately aside from that article Dutch linked in the Beacon Line thread.

Come on now, when has lack of passenger experience stopped them from passing out the "we can run passenger choo choo" kool-aid by the gallon in the northwest corner?

Current Waterbury branch service would look pretty fabulous next to Housy-run passenger service...even if it was on the shiny redone SPG line!

Haha, fair enough point naugatroll. Of course I think the only ones who are actually drinking it are the lovely group of people who only live here part time. Most of the locals only pay attention to the train if they get stuck at the crossing at the light in Canaan in the evening. I think I was the only student at Housy at the time who would actually watch the train when it rolled by, haha.

Back to the possible prospects, who does everyone here think should get the bid, based on each one's history?

NaugyRR wrote:Back to the possible prospects, who does everyone here think should get the bid, based on each one's history?

Amtrak. It's their line, they want full control over their line, and they don't like it when Malloy & Co. shooting their mouths off blaming Amtrak for complications with CDOT projects on their Amtrak line. They strengthen their leverage and control over their own house and keep CDOT from nipping at their heels like a hyperactive poodle if they have full ops control. They've been running SLE without a hiccup for 25 years. It's the same equipment. I've got to think they're heavily-favored. Both on $$$ and for two roommates who don't really much choice but to strive for an optimal coexistence.

Keolis' staggering start on the MBTA contract and constant fines for poor OTP leaves them kind of an underwhelming choice, though they're certainly competent enough. Also...with Amtrak fighting with the T bigtime and Keolis being on the T's side that could rankle relations on the AMTK- owned and dispatched line.

Veolia and Bombardier were tag-team partners in the not-at-all-missed MBCR compact that stole money from the T for 10 years. BBD's in all sorts of financial turmoil up in Sweet Home Canada, and is on AMTK's "Dead To Me" ****list. And Veolia's still cloaked in the stench of its abysmal Metrolink safety record...a mess AMTK is having to clean up as it takes over that operating contract. Gotta think these guys are considerably less favored than even Keolis, especially with Amtrak having so little patience for their antics.


HRRC is just grifting. Or maybe the execs have already looted the money from the MassDOT sale and the company's so hard-up for cash it's just flailing at anything that moves. Or after years of silent treatment from CDOT they simply want 'a' returned phone call for a "Mommy, help" conversation about the walls closing in on their safety record. Or they're finally willing to sell the last of their private trackage. Any which way they're the proverbial whoopee cushion slipped on the chair in that board meeting.

I believe it was Bombardier that had railroad related job openings based out of New Haven posted a while ago...obviously cultivating an applicant pool for if they got the contract.

IMO Amtrak should do it, as we know the state of Connecticut sometimes has some boneheaded ideas from time to time, so to be honest...Keolis, etc. getting it wouldn't surprise me.

First wayside horn is in service in Meriden per the email I just got...not up on their website yet so I have attached the email as a PDF.

On October 24, 2016, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced that Connecticut would become the
first state in New England to install automated horn systems, commonly known as wayside horns, at various rail atgrade
crossings.
Installed as part of CTDOT’s noise mitigation efforts along the CTrail Hartford Line, the first horn became operational today (October
24, 2016) at the Cooper Street crossing in Meriden.

Cross-posted in the applicable thread on the Amtrak board.

So..... someone know something we don't?: Concord Monitor

Rail already in N.H.
Right now, the Seacoast, Cheshire County and the Upper Valley are all serviced by rail. In a year, high speed rail will be coming up through Brattleboro and White River Junction, Vt., getting people in Western New Hampshire to New York City in three hours.

Assuming they're speaking of an extension of "The Hartford Line"? or Shuttle service? Or are they referring to something else?

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:

NaugyRR wrote:Back to the possible prospects, who does everyone here think should get the bid, based on each one's history?

--snip--
Keolis' staggering start on the MBTA contract and constant fines for poor OTP leaves them kind of an underwhelming choice, though they're certainly competent enough. Also...with Amtrak fighting with the T bigtime and Keolis being on the T's side that could rankle relations on the AMTK- owned and dispatched line.

Veolia and Bombardier were tag-team partners in the not-at-all-missed MBCR compact that stole money from the T for 10 years. BBD's in all sorts of financial turmoil up in Sweet Home Canada, and is on AMTK's "Dead To Me" ****list. And Veolia's still cloaked in the stench of its abysmal Metrolink safety record...a mess AMTK is having to clean up as it takes over that operating contract. Gotta think these guys are considerably less favored than even Keolis, especially with Amtrak having so little patience for their antics.--snip--

MBCR aka Veolia+Bombardier were real sore losers when they lost the MBTA contract. Keolis got off to a spectacularly bad start. It's not clear to me whether they are a good contractor or a bad one.