The state Department of Transportation will begin a $10 million project to upgrade the power system to Metro-North’s New Haven line starting Feb. 3, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced at a press conference at New Haven’s Union Station on Sunday afternoon.
Malloy said the DOT will work with Connecticut Light & Power to replace four transformers in Greenwich servicing the New Haven Line in an effort to “prevent the type of catastrophic power failure that occurred this past fall in Mount Vernon, New York, seriously disrupting service on the New Haven Line.”
The transformers will be replaced one by one. A back-up emergency transformer will be activated and placed on standby throughout the construction process. Metro-North will also provide complete substitute service in case a power problem arises while the work is being done, Malloy said.
“The New Haven Line is the busiest single rail line in the country and, each day, takes more than 60,000 travelers off of our already congested highways,” Malloy said in a release. “In anticipation of adding even more service on this state owned rail corridor, we want to ensure riders have as safe and reliable a commute as possible and prevent the major system interruptions that we experienced in September.”
Replacement of the first transformer will begin Feb. 3 and should be completed within 16 days, according to Malloy. The second transformer will be replaced immediately after and should be done by mid-March.
“The implementation of this project is designed to prevent a disruption of service similar to one caused by a Con Edison power outage in Mount Vernon last fall,” said DOT Commissioner James Redeker in a release. “Both CL&P and Metro-North have partnered to ensure a successful project for New Haven Line customers.”
Malloy plans to meet with incoming Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti and MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast on Feb. 13 to "discuss his concerns about the operation of the New Haven Line," according to a press release issued today.
