On Saturday, Jan. 24, on one of the coldest days of winter, we narrowly avoided what could have been a very serious event in the heart of Bridgeport – one that UI has been trying to prevent for nearly three years now. Just before dawn that morning, one of the transmission lines that hangs above Interstate 95 and Metro-North Railroad snapped in the cold, falling onto the interstate before landing on the train’s power wires, structures and facilities above Tracks 1, 2 and 4 of the railroad. Thankfully, train operations on those tracks were halted before any trains could travel through these areas and did not reopen until repairs were completed some nine hours later, causing delays and impacting Metro-North riders. The line that failed, called a static wire, is a de-energized line that helps prevent lightning from striking our energized transmission wires. Replacing the wire could take months, given the need for complex coordination between UI, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and Metro-North. If the repair extends into the spring when thunderstorms begin, service to thousands of customers along the railroad could be at risk under certain conditions.
UI (opinion): Bridgeport transmission line snapped in cold heightens need for grid modernization plan. ‘We got lucky’
