Officials say improvements to the Waterbury branch of Metro-North Railroad are critical to spur economic development in the Valley, and federal funding can be a catalyst for those enhancements. The U.S. Senate has approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, but a House vote is being held up by disagreements between Democratic progressive and moderates over a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package that is the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda. Officials on Monday touted the impact the infrastructure bill can have on the Waterbury branch line, a 28.5-mile passenger railroad that runs between Waterbury and Bridgeport. DeLauro said the framework of the bill dedicates $5.38 billion for Connecticut over the next five years, which is about $1.6 billion more than a transportation bill passed in 2015. She said officials are on track to pass both bills before an Oct. 31 deadline.
https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2021/10/04/officials-tout-improvements-to-waterbury-branch-of-metro-north-federal-infrastructure-bill/