The possibility of restoring service to pre-pandemic levels on the Shore Line East rail line remains in jeopardy as the 2024 legislative session nears its conclusion.
Senate Bill 277, the legislation that would restore the service, has not made it back to the Appropriations Committee, according to co-chair state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who added, “It’s in the hands of the screening committee. Still alive with possibilities.”
Shore Line East, which runs from New London to New Haven used to offer more trains per day during the week and even had trains schedule over the weekend.
But in 2018, due to Amtrak track work and a locomotive shortage, service was cut and buses provided instead for travelers.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit and people stayed at home, the service was cut back again.
According to DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto’s testimony on the bill, in 2019 Shore Line East operated 222 trains per week with an annual ridership of 660,477. By 2021, ridership had dropped to 121,733.
Eucalitto said that Shore Line East currently operates 112 trains per week. It’s ridership for 2023 was 176,979.
“This reflects a 73.2% decrease in ridership between 2019 and 2023, and a slightly less than 50% reduction in service,” Eucalitto wrote. “The Adopted Budget includes funding for Shore Line East matching service levels – reflecting 44% of pre-COVID service for both FY 2024 and FY2025. CTDOT staff have worked collaboratively with customers, the CT Public Transportation Council, and the Shore Line East advocacy groups to develop a customer-centric schedule consistent with the Adopted Budget.”
The reduction in trains, however, has Shore Line East customers frustrated.
While all rail services and public transportation options are subsidized, the state Department of Transportation says the per-rider subsidies are included in the department’s decision-making with respect to not restoring Shore Line East to its previous peak level of service.
Jim Gildea, Chairman of the Connecticut Public Transportation Council, isn’t impressed by the subsidy argument.
“I will tell you that I think the subsidy is a kind of a smoke screen for two reasons,” Gildea said. “First is public transportation, in my opinion, is very similar to police, fire, trash removal. It’s just something that communities are supposed to offer and that we’re supposed to provide and those services from time to time – they cost money. But we don’t decide to not fund the police or not fund the fire or not to fund the US Postal Service because it’s costly. And then the second part of it, they have gutted the line. So, it only stands to reason that the subsidy is higher.”
According to previous news reports the subsidy for Shore Line East in 2021 was $55.28 per rider, ranking it one of the most expensive commuter rail lines in the country.
Fast forward to 2024 and according to figures from CTDOT supplied to CTNewsJunkie, the projected subsidies for Shore Line East for 2024-2025 have almost tripled to $155.11 because of the decline in ridership.
Projected ridership and subsidy levels of Shore Line East, FY 2024-FY 2025 FY 2024 (Projected) FY 2025 (Projected) Total Subsidy $26,330,000 $28,437,000 State Subsidy $24,719,000 $26,697,000 Ridership 159,362 177,827 State Subsidy per Passenger $155.11 $150.13
Gildea says the high dollar-per-rider amount is because Shore Line East has so few trains running.
He points to the Waterbury line, a service he uses, and said that line is only doing well because it’s received financial backing from the state. The Waterbury line last July was given seven additional trains, a 44% increase in service, he said.
“The Waterbury line is the only rail branch that ended 2023 with more ridership and more pre-COVID ridership. There is no greater evidence that we should provide steady service to Shore Line East than the ridership levels of both the Waterbury line and the Hartford line,” he said. “And the sheer investment that the state of Connecticut has put in both of those lines to attract ridership. Steady service attracts ridership. The Waterbury branch proves that the Hartford Line proves that. And if we made the same commitment to the shoreline East, they would prove that, too.”
Projected ridership and subsidy levels of New Haven Line, FY 2024-FY 2025 FY 2023 (Actual) FY 2024 (Projected) FY 2025 (Projected) Total Subsidy $349,707,703 $352,340,944 $377,153,000 State Subsidy $160,527,507 $175,087,992 $192,568,835 Ridership 26,485,637 28,970,173 27,785,594 State Subsidy Per Passenger $6.06 $6.04 $6.93 Projected ridership and subsidy levels of Waterbury Branch Line, FY 2024-FY 2025 FY 2023 (Actual) FY 2024 (Projected) FY 2025 (Projected) Total Subsidy $16,169,209 $16,290,960 $17,438,179 State Subsidy $7,898,593 $10,914,944 $11,683,580 Ridership 233,828 238,505 243,000 State Subsidy Per Passenger $33.78 $45.76 $48.08 Projected ridership and subsidy levels of Hartford Line, FY 2024-FY 2025 FY 2023 (Actual) FY 2024 (Projected) FY 2025 (Projected) Total Subsidy $44,617,748 $45,956,280 $47,334,969 State Subsidy $42,496,731 $43,771,633 $45,084,782 Ridership 574,870 586,367 598,095 State Subsidy Per Passenger $73.92 $74.65 $75.38
The Hartford line in 2018, when it started operation, attracted around 51,000 passengers a month and provided service from New Haven to Hartford and across the border to Springfield, Massachusetts.
Although passenger levels are down from their pre-COVID usage, ridership is climbing again based on 100% service levels, something Shore Line East doesn’t have.
“I think the greatest thing we could do for Shore Line East is first restore its service and then second, expand it through Mystic Seaport, expand it into Rhode Island and the Westerly beaches,” Gildea said.
