Looking to save money, help the environment and travel while doing it? It’s time to hop onto the train. Welcome back to another edition of our series within “Under the Rock” on transportation options in Connecticut. Whether you’re a diehard fan or newbie, we’ll be talking about what University of Connecticut students need to know about rail travel in our state.
There are three main train services that “nutmeggers” need to know: the Hartford Line, Shore Line East and the New Haven Line— all of which run through numerous Connecticut towns and cities. The best part is that UConn students can travel for free between most any location in the state by using their U-Pass.
CT Rail Hartford Line
The Hartford Line travels between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts, making seven station stops at New Haven-State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks, and it is operated by both CT Rail and Amtrak.
This line is most likely your first connection; by taking CT Transit’s express bus, Route 913, from UConn to Hartford Union Station, or a short walk from UConn’s satellite campus in Hartford, one can simply walk up to the platform to start their travel journey. Large video monitors in this station’s two waiting rooms show the scheduled trains and overhead announcements alert passengers of when to get ready for boarding.
New Haven, Hartford and Springfield are larger, indoor stations and have amenities like restrooms, food service and newsstands. These are junctions for multiple train lines, so they have many tracks—except Hartford, which currently only has one active platform. The rest of the station stops are standard, outdoor train stations with usually only one or two platforms (northbound and southbound, on this line).
This line offers a combined 37 northbound and southbound runs on weekdays and a combined 24 runs on weekends with morning, afternoon and nighttime options. All trains on the Hartford Line operate as “locals,” meaning they stop at every station on the line.
The fares on the Hartford Line are reasonable; a one-way fare between New Haven and Springfield is $13.25 and from New Haven to Hartford is $8.25. Every station also has VTMs (virtual ticket machines) to purchase tickets if you’re not using your U-Pass. As a general rule of thumb, fares should always be purchased ahead of time, as onboard costs are higher!
Schedule details and more information can be found on the Hartford Line webpage at hartfordline.com.
CT Rail Shore Line East
Shore Line East trains run from New Haven to New London, making eight station stops at New Haven-State Street, Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook, Old Saybrook and New London, and it is a CT Rail line.
This railroad is aptly named, running east beside Connecticut’s shoreline, and their service advertises a variety of destinations passengers can access along the line like distinctive restaurants, entertainment providers and “natural highs”, such as Hammonasset State Beach in Madison and the Thames River Heritage Region in New London.
The fares on Shore Line East are not bad, either—a one-way fare between New Haven and New London is $10.75. On the schedule, five Shore Line East runs (two westbound and three eastbound) also operate “thru-service” to and from Stamford (making additional stops at West Haven, Milford, Stratford and Bridgeport) for a whole-route one-way fare of $19.50 for those runs. Of course, the trip is free with your U-Pass!
You can plan your trip and learn more information on the Shore Line East webpage at shorelineeast.com.
MTA Metro-North New Haven Mainline
The New Haven Line is Connecticut’s oldest and most-popular railroad, chiefly due to its location in the southwest region of our state and service, which brings riders to New York City. The New Haven “mainline,” or primary corridor, runs from New Haven to Grand Central Terminal and has 19 station stops in Connecticut and an additional 10 in New York.
The MTA, New York’s state agency for NYC transportation, operates the line through its Metro-North Railroad arm.
New Haven Line service is frequent and efficient. Almost every NYC-bound train leaving New Haven operates locally until Stamford, but express (not stopping) thereafter until Harlem-125th Street station.
Some New Haven Line trains begin or end at New Haven-State Street, and some limited runs may make additional stops or skip some others, so it is important for passengers to verify which stop they need on the video monitors located in New Haven Union Station. These monitors are on the big board in the main waiting room, right near your track entrance and on the displays located above each platform, which will list all the stops that train is making.
For UConn students wishing to travel to New York City, the important thing to know is that you’ll get a great discount by using your U-Pass. The U-Pass allows students to travel free in Connecticut, but you’ll have to pay the fare from the New York state line onward. Greenwich is the last station before then, so the fare you’ll need to pay to get to Grand Central is just $10.50 off-peak and $14.25 during peak times.
Wait, why two prices? Because the trains are publicly funded, “peak” fares are charged during weekday rush hours on trains scheduled to arrive in NYC between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. or depart NYC between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. “Off-peak” fares are charged all other times on weekdays, all day on weekends and on holidays. Chances are, you’ll be taking an off-peak train—but it’s important to buy the right type of ticket.
Most New Haven Line stations have at least one VTM where you can purchase a ticket that “originates” at Greenwich. Just follow the menu prompts and go slowly—don’t speed through the screens. You can then board an express train as long as you have both your U-Pass and your Metro-North ticket. (A ticket from New Haven to Grand Central usually costs $18.25 off-peak and $24.50 peak.)
Once you get to Grand Central Terminal, you can enjoy NYC’s sights and attractions, or transfer to the Hudson or Harlem Lines, the Long Island Railroad or to the New York City Subway to travel further. Don’t worry, we’ll discuss those extra options in a future edition.
A wealth of information about the New Haven Line can be found on the MTA Metro-North webpage at mta.info/agency/metro-north-railroad.
More To Come
The New Haven Line also has three branch lines, or additional corridors, in the New Caanan, Danbury and Waterbury Branches. Amtrak runs intercity and regionally, like with the Northeast Regional, Vermonter and Acela that pass through Connecticut. Because there’s so much to talk about, we’ll be saving the rest for our next column, but hopefully this primer inspires UConn Nation to give trains a try. I take them to travel home, to the city and everywhere in between. Until next time, I’m going back “Under the Rock.”