In the News

SPRINGFIELD — The Hartford Line commuter rail service attracted record ridership during Thanksgiving weekend, the Connecticut Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.

CTDOT said it ran extra CTrail Hartford Line trains on Nov. 26, Nov. 27 and Dec. 1. The commuter rail line serves communities between New Haven and Springfield including Hartford.

Springfield’s Union Station braced for big crowds over the long weekend and even offered pie to travelers as a promotion.

In 2018, more than 3,500 passengers chose CTrail and Amtrak the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, setting a one-day ridership record for the Hartford Line, which started operating the previous June. This year the Hartford Line carried more than 4,000 riders the Wednesday before Thanksgiving — a new ridership record, CTDOT said.

Last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the Hartford Line carried more than 3,000 riders; this year there were more than 3,600 riders.

CTDOT said it deployed 10 additional CTrail trains on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and four additional trains on the Sunday after. The added trains were scheduled five to 10 minutes after Amtrak trains. The CTrail trains provided additional seats to alleviate overcrowding on many sold-out Amtrak trains.

“Today’s numbers illustrate just what can happen when there is a substantial investment in our infrastructure and transportation needs," said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal in an email. “This venture has proved to be a beneficial way to reduce congestion in the Pioneer Valley and the I-91 corridor. I am proud to continue to partner with Connecticut to ensure the continued success of this line.”

Neal helped secure federal money to rehab the tracks and spearheaded the $103 million renovation of Springfield’s Union Station. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is about to open the long-delayed Platform C with handicapped accessibility and modern elevators.

“The extra trains were a resounding success and surpassed expectations,” said CTDOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti in a statement. “Our preparation and teamwork paid off.”