Construction has started on a $125.3 million Hartford Line train station in Enfield’s Thompsonville neighborhood that will bring passenger rail back to the town for the first time since 1986.
Gov. Ned Lamont and state Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto marked the start of construction Wednesday at the site, 1322 Bigelow Commons. The state Department of Transportation expects to finish the project in fall 2030. Amtrak closed the old Thompsonville stop because of low ridership. Service is far more frequent now: The Hartford Line, launched in 2018, runs 22 weekday round trips in addition to Amtrak trains. The new station will close a roughly 15-mile gap on the Hartford Line between Windsor Locks and Springfield Union Station in Massachusetts. The DOT estimates it will serve nearly 130,000 passenger trips a year by 2031. Rides will take about 23 minutes to Hartford and 13 minutes to Springfield. The state is covering about 85% of the cost. The other 15% comes from the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
State breaks ground on $125M Enfield train station, restoring rail service lost in 1986
