The Hartford Line, CT Rail’s newest service, is ready for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, according to transit officials, despite struggling with delays since its opening less than two weeks ago.
“We have plenty of capacity, we’re ready, and we’ll have again all our trains in service, nice and cold,” said Rich Andreski, the chief of public transportation with CTDOT.
Crowds are not expected to be as large as those for the Hartford Line’s debut on June 16 and 17, when CT Rail offered free rides, but ridership has remained strong according to Andreski.
CT Rail does not plan to add capacity in anticipation of holiday crowds just yet, but Andreski said, “we always have the option of running additional trains if we see really heavy ridership.”
The Hartford Line has experienced delays every day since launching but officials attributed the issues to growing pains. Trains were held up so far due to everything from trespassers to traffic on the tracks with Amtrak and freight trains, Andreski explained.
DOT employees have been analyzing data and riding trains to see what can be done to minimize delays, according to Andreski.
Maggie Hughes of Marlborough rode the Hartford Line for the first time today on her way to New York City. She said the trip in to New Haven’s Union station was comfortable, and anticipated using the service could help her avoid bad traffic on I-95 when she returns on July 3.
