The CTrail Hartford Line, which marked its one-year anniversary this week, has surpassed Connecticut Department of Transportation expectations.
During its first 12 months of service, the 62-mile line carried approximately 634,000 passengers, 51,000 more than the department’s projections.
The Hartford Line has multiple stations in Central Connecticut along the I-91 corridor and compliments existing Amtrak service. Each weekday, 32 trains operate on the line.
The line has strong customer satisfaction, according to a survey conducted in November, with 87.6 percent of survey respondents saying they were satisfied overall.
Survey respondents ranked the courtesy of crew at 93.5 percent and onboard ticket collection at 94.3 percent.
“We need to dramatically improve our transportation system to compete in a 21st-century economy that attracts businesses and provides the critical infrastructure needed to move goods, services, and people,” Gov. Ned Lamont said at a ceremony commemorating the anniversary. “The Hartford Line is one component of creating a fast, efficient transportation system that works. It’s only been one year and ridership has been higher than expected, but we cannot stop here – we must build the infrastructure that businesses and commuters need for today’s economy.”
An estimated $430 million has been invested in new development along the corridor.