Efforts to expand rail service in eastern Connecticut are likely to be constrained by towering costs and the limitations of a century-old rail bridge over the Thames River, according to a new assessment from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The startup costs for two new commuter routes — which the report pegged at around $1 billion — as well as the region’s relatively sluggish pace of job growth were both cited as factors that could weigh against such an investment. “Transit investment could satisfy existing and future regional mobility needs, independent of any other long-term strategies like enhanced rail service,” the report said. Ultimately, lawmakers have yet to approve any of the funding necessary to bring regular commuter rail service to the region.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/connecticut/article/ct-commuter-rail-norwich-rhode-island-18359275.php