New Haven Line to gain additional trains, Gov. Malloy says

Starting in November, additional trains will be added to MTA Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy announced yesterday.

Off-peak weekday and weekend trains on the line will begin running every half-hour between New Haven, Conn., and New York City. This marks the first time the New Haven Line has offered half-hour service for off-peak and weekend trains, which will begin when Metro-North implements schedule changes on Nov. 9, Malloy said in a press release.

In addition, schedule enhancements are planned for the Waterbury Branch of the New Haven Line in response to recent customer demand.

"With this good news, the delivery of our new M-8 cars and the upgrades we are making to improve infrastructure and operations, we are continuing to move the New Haven Line to where it needs to be to best serve the tens of thousands of Connecticut residents who depend on this system every day," Malloy said.
 
When new Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti began his duties in February, Malloy outlined his expectations and priorities for improved service and performance for Connecticut’s commuter lines.  Malloy and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker have since held discussions with Giulietti as Metro-North works to implement improvements, such as by appointing Mike Donnarumma district superintendent on the New Haven Line and consumer advocate for the Waterbury Branch, state officials said.

Major improvements to the Waterbury Branch are already in the works, including a new signal system and positive train control implementation. In the past four years, Connecticut has invested almost $11 million in Waterbury Branch-specific projects to restore the line to a state-of-good repair.