Danbury Train Line To Get Upgrade Thanks to Federal Stimulus
State Representative Peggy Reeves joined Congressman Jim Himes, Congressman Chris Murphy and a delegation of other local elected officials for a whistle-stop tour from Danbury to South Norwalk to announce plans to increase reliability and frequency of service on the Norwalk/Danbury branch of Metro North.
The Metro North branch line will be undergoing significant enhancements as a result of a $52 million project. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $30 million to upgrade the line’s signaling system.
Switch Upgrades Will Allow More Frequent Trains
“Investment in the Norwalk/Danbury branch is key for the region’s economic development” said Representative Reeves, who sits on the state legislature’s Transportation Committee. “In addition, the project will create much-needed jobs during construction. The upgrades being made are the first step in easing congestion on state roads and highways and providing an easier commute for Wilton residents.”
The funding will go toward new automated switches, which will allow trains to run more frequently on the feeder line. Currently trains cannot move from one section of the track into another without receiving verbal approval from a controller in New York. The federally-funded project will modernize the 24-mile track from Danbury to Norwalk and install a centralized traffic control system (CTC) which will allow trains to run more frequently. Design work for the enhancements is being completed now, and construction will begin later this year, with completion scheduled for December 2011.
