In about two years, community members in Enfield should see construction on a new train station.
Lawmakers are confident it will serve the town; one that's home to more than 40,000 people and close to the Massachusetts border.
While trains pass through Enfield, they never stop. Adding a station to the Hartford line would connect people to cities and towns in and outside the state. Whereas now, Enfield residents have to drive to Windsor Locks or Springfield to get on the train.
A new station would make a difference for one Enfield woman who works in Massachusetts.
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"With gas prices sky high as they are, having a train available to take me personally to where I work in Massachusetts, I'm not a fan of the Mass Pike. Traffic is not exactly always safe, so this is exciting," said Leah Chouinard of Enfield.
Congressman Joe Courtney has been leading this effort. On a phone call with Secretary of Transporation Pete Buttigieg, Courtney was told the state's application was granted.
"For 15 years, we've been working with every level of government to get to this day so it is a huge milestone and a huge success for Enfield," said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-CT 2nd District."
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The new train station will be built between the Springfield, Mass. and Windsor Locks stations. Through the state bond program, Connecticut plans to match the federal government's investment of $13.8 million.
An additional $2 million requested several years ago makes the project worth roughly $31 million dollars.
"If you want to go to Hartford for the day, there's lots to do in West Hartford, and to just be able to take a train and not have to pay for parking because parking is a real big issue," said Chounard. "You're already broke before you get there because of gas and parking."
Obtaining this funding was highly competitive as towns and cities across the country vied for the opportunity.
But Connecticut's Commissioner of Transportation Joseph Giulietti said he and his colleagues fought long and hard for this funding to bring more economic engagement to and from the town of Enfield.
"You'll now be living in a community that people will be able to commute from right here, not have to drive to another location, and that is extremely marketable," said Giulietti.
