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New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) Commuter Rail Line: S-l-o-w-l-y Chugging Along
New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter (NHHS) Commuter Rail Line refers to the 62 miles of existing rail line, which is owned and operated by Amtrak, beginning in
New Haven at Union Station, continuing through a number of towns and cities, including
Hartford, and ending at Union Station in
Springfield,
Massachusetts. The section from the
Connecticut state line to
Springfield is about 11 miles long.
The Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail (PVACR) was formed in 2007 to help raise awareness of this project’s benefits to Western Mass and persuade policymakers to fund
Massachusetts’ share. A growing chorus of supporters in
Connecticut and
Massachusetts continue to strongly urge policymakers and Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) officials to speed up the project’s progress. In Dec. 2008, the New Haven Register quoted Stephen Delpapa, a ConnDOT Transportation Supervising Planner on the project, saying that commuters could expect to ride the line in “optimistically, 2015-2016.”
NHHS Recent Project History
12-2008 – ConnDOT Scoping Hearings held in
Springfield,
MA and three
Connecticut locations. PVACR supporters joined others in calling for the project to be speeded up.
Early 2008 – ConnDOT's two-year Environmental Assessment started. The study is addressing the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the proposed service. The impacts and their mitigations then determine the final nature of the project so it can advance to the design stage.
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Sign our petition in support of NHHS
Governors Lobby for NHHS
In March 2009, after meeting with Amtrak officals, Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick wrote a letter to Joseph H. Boardman, president and CEO of Amtrak, inviting Amtrak to join the states in expanding commuter rail between
Springfield and
New Haven,
CT.
"The states of
Connecticut and
Massachusetts have a shared vision of developing a world-class regional rail commuter service along the
Springfield line corridor. ... It is our hope that Amtrak shares this vision."
The letter also said that the commuter line "will dramatically improve mobility in the region and improve life and lifestyles. It also offers the catalyst for sound economic development in the region that benefits everyone, including Amtrak.”
The letter also said: "We are writing ... to invite Amtrak to partner with us on the establishment and operation of a commuter rail service and to jointly pursue funding for equipment, capacity and infrastructure improvements to bring this vision for rail service to this corridor."
The news article quoted an Amtrak spokesman saying Amtrak has “agreed to work together with the states to advance the project.”
Interstate cooperation between
Massachusetts and
Connecticut, especially at the governor level, and Amtrak’s public statement that they will cooperate to offer commuter rail from
Springfield to
New Haven,
CT are encouraging.
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