HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – Some commuters will need to find a new way around Hartford, as the Hartford Line commuter trains are no longer running starting on Monday.
The line will be suspended for the next two months until September 12, according to city officials.
So, instead of going inside the station and waiting for a train, commuters are advised to head to the station’s back door and catch a bus.
In New Haven, buses will be the main mode of transportation replacing the trains. Every station along the line will have its own bus stop, which should be clearly posted for people to see. This plan will be in place on Monday, when the line shuts down, until September when it re-opens.
Two different projects are causing the suspension in the train lines, officials said. The first project is a roof replacement on the historic canopy at Hartford’s Union Station and adding new lighting and safety enhancements. The second project is up in Windsor, where work is being done on the tracks.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation said that even without the trains, these stations are still dedicated to getting people where they need to go.
“We want to reassure those folks that even though that the train service may be disrupted, there will be replacement bus service. So, people will have an option to get from point A to point B through the Hartford line corridor,” said Josh Morgan, a communications manager at the DOT.
Amtrak trains will also be affected by the suspension of these lines, according to officials. They said it is unsafe for trains to run while construction is going on.
The DOT also stated that the Hartford Line’s ridership has just recently gotten back to about 75% of what it used to be before the pandemic. The suspension of these rail lines may disrupt this uptick in riders, however.