Contract awarded for three new Connecticut to Massachusetts rail stations
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) revealed plans for three new train stations in Wallingford, Meriden and Berlin, Conn., as part of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) Rail Program.
The station construction contract was awarded to Judlau Construction of New York at a value of $58.8 million.
In addition to the new station announcement, Gov. Dannel Malloy also unveiled the logo for the new commuter service, which will be branded the “Hartford Line.”
“This is a major milestone for NHHS as it enters the construction phase at stations in Wallingford, Meriden and Berlin,” said Gov. Malloy. “The NHHS Rail Program will not only offer more frequent, convenient and faster passenger rail service, but it will also cultivate significant benefits to communities along the rail line, including local economic and transit-oriented development activities at and around these stations, with the ultimate goal of increasing municipal revenue, creating jobs and improving the quality of life for residents and increasing our competitiveness as a state.”
Improvements at these stations include high-level platforms (both sides of the track), overhead pedestrian bridge with new elevators and stair towers on both sides of the track to connect the two platforms, platform snow melt systems, electric vehicle charging stations, ticket vending machines and passenger information display systems, and more.
Funded through the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) created under President Barack Obama in 2008 and state of Connecticut bonds proceeds, the NHHS Rail Program will provide significant new regional passenger rail service options as a key component of a robust and vibrant multi-modal regional transportation system.
Scheduled to launch in late 2016, the enhanced rail service between New Haven and Springfield, with portions of the line from New Haven to Windsor, will be double tracked and will provide faster, frequent and more reliable passenger service both locally and regionally.
