CT Rail, stylized as CTrail, is the brand for commuter rail services overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), in the U.S. state of Connecticut, with some service extending into Massachusetts. CTDOT oversees two lines: Shore Line East, between New Haven and New London, Connecticut, and the Hartford Line, from New Haven, through Hartford, to Springfield, Massachusetts.
Services are operated under contract, with Shore Line East operated by Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor, and the Hartford Line operated by a joint venture of TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts. CT Rail trains, along with other CTDOT rail operations, use the reporting mark CNDX.
Lines
CT Rail operates two commuter rail lines: the Hartford Line and Shore Line East. Both lines utilize portions of the Northeast Corridor, with most trains terminating at Union Station in New Haven.
Hartford Line
The Hartford Line runs between New Haven Union Station in New Haven and Springfield Union Station in Springfield. The line is a joint venture between the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Service began on June 16, 2018. CT Rail Hartford Line tickets are also accepted on Amtrak's Hartford Line, however, the Vermonter inter-city service does not participate despite running along the same route. The majority of the Hartford Line's route is along the New Haven–Springfield Line, with two stations in New Haven, Union Station and State Street, being on the Northeast Corridor.
Shore Line East
CT Rail's Shore Line East commuter rail service runs between New London and New Haven, with limited service continuing onto Bridgeport and Stamford. When service initially started along the line on May 29, 1990, CT Rail commuter trains were intended to be a temporary measure in order to reduce congestion along Interstate 95 during a highway construction project. However, the service was made permanent due to more ridership than initially anticipated. The line has an average daily ridership of about 2,100 riders and runs along the Northeast Corridor for its entire length. Since May 2022, Shore Line East has used Kawasaki M8 electric multiple units to provide service on the line.
Rolling stock
Current
CT Rail uses the following rolling stock for its commuter rail operations: All Electric Multiple Unit cars are used on the electrified Shore Line East running on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor while locomotive hauled trains with passenger coaches are used on Amtrak's non-electrified Hartford Line. M8 electric cars are shared between Shore Line East and Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line.
Future rolling stock
In June 2023, the MTA board approved purchase of an option order of six Siemens Charger SC-42DM units on behalf of ConnDOT, which will replace the four existing P32AC-DM locomotives in the Metro-North equipment pool and allow for service increases on the Danbury and Waterbury branches. Delivery of the locomotives is expected to be completed in 2027.
In August 2023, CTDOT approved a $315 million contract with Alstom for 60 single-level passenger cars. The cars will replace the existing coach fleet on the Hartford Line along with the Metro-North Waterbury Branch and Danbury Branch. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026.