General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1078, titled "AN ACT CONCERNING RAIL SERVICE," is a legislative proposal aimed at enhancing rail services in the state. The bill mandates the Department of Transportation to restore service levels on the Shore Line East to what they were before the service reductions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also requires the purchase and installation of new rail cars for the Waterbury and Danbury branches of the New Haven Line, and the expansion of these branches to include additional towns. Specifically, the Danbury branch is to be extended to New Milford, and the Waterbury branch to Seymour, Shelton, and Derby.

Additionally, the bill instructs the Commissioner of Transportation to conduct a study on the future of railroads in the state, which includes assessing the feasibility of establishing rail service between Hartford and Middletown, and the potential for operating hybrid trains on the Danbury branch of the New Haven Line. The results of this study are to be submitted to the appropriate joint standing committee of the General Assembly by February 1, 2024. The bill also includes a new provision (Section 3, subsection d) that authorizes the Commissioner of Transportation to select, through a competitive process, an operator or operators for rail service on the Shore Line East rail line. This act is effective from passage and amends section 13b-79u of the general statutes, with the insertion of new sections and the substitution of existing ones as specified in the bill.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
TRA Joint Favorable:
File No. 433:
APP Joint Favorable: