Study Description
Metro-North Railroad operates service between New Haven and New York's Grand Central Terminal on the New Haven Line. Three branch lines from other Connecticut locations feed into the New Haven Line: the Danbury Branch, the Waterbury Branch, and the New Canaan Branch. The focus of this website is a feasibility study of the Waterbury and New Canaan Branches, to determine a range of possible improvements and the effects such improvements may have on mobility and ridership.
The 27-mile Waterbury Branch is the longest of the three branch lines, operating between Waterbury and Bridgeport with stops at Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia, and Derby-Shelton. Freight trains also operate on the line. The Waterbury Branch parallels Connecticut Route 8, which is frequently congested during rush hour periods, especially in the vicinity of the Route 8/I-95 interchange. Improved transit service in the corridor could attract new ridership, which, in turn, may serve to slow the growth of vehicle trips and congestion on Route 8 and local roadways. Without improvements to the corridor, ridership on the Waterbury Branch Line is projected to grow to the year 2030 at a low to moderate rate. This limited growth in ridership reflects in part the need for improvements to facilities and service in the Waterbury Branch Line to attract additional commuters.
The 9.9-mile New Canaan Branch is the shortest of the three branch lines and the only one that is electrified. Metro-North provides frequent peak period service from New Canaan to Stamford and Grand Central Terminal, with stops at Talmadge Hill, Springdale, and Glenbrook. Like the Waterbury Branch, the New Canaan line consists of a single track without any passing sidings. The signalization on the branch line ends just south of the New Canaan Station, which limits the operations of the trains on the northern end of the branch. Greater frequency of service and faster running times could potentially make the branch more attractive to commuters with a positive influence on ridership. Without improvements to the corridor, ridership on the New Canaan Branch Line is projected to grow to the year 2030 at a significant rate. This growth in ridership could be constrained, however, by the limited parking supply at the stations along the branch line and by the lack of passing sidings on the branch line to allow more service.
A planning study to develop proposed improvements for the Danbury Branch line is currently underway in a separate initiative. For more information on that study, go to www.danburybranchstudy.com .