CTDOT begins construction on upgrades to four Metro-North Waterbury Branch Line stations

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has begun construction on upgrades to four stations on the Metro-North Waterbury Branch Line, located in Derby-Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls and Seymour, Conn. Construction is anticipated to be completed by spring 2028.

The upgrades will bring new 350-foot platforms—created to accommodate full train boarding—along with covered canopies and enclosed windscreens to improve passenger comfort in all weather conditions. Stations will feature real-time arrival information, ticket vending, upgraded lighting and improved wayfinding. The department says that each location will be ADA accessible, with improved pedestrian access and safer passenger flow.

“For too long, riders on the Waterbury Branch Line have been making do with aging and inaccessible infrastructure. That changes now,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont. “These investments are about more than about improved stations; they’re about giving working families in the Naugatuck Valley the same quality of service that riders elsewhere take for granted and building the kind of connected, affordable communities that keep people here.”

In Derby, the department notes that the project will restore the vacant historic station building to provide indoor waiting space while also adding new bus bays to strengthen connections with local transit services, creating a more connected regional hub.

These projects are part of a broader statewide initiative to upgrade all six stations along the Waterbury Branch Line between 2025 and 2028 at an estimated cost of $193 million—which started with the construction of a new station in Naugatuck, Conn., last summer. Led by CTDOT, the program aims to modernizing a regional rail corridor with safer, more accessible and more reliable infrastructure for riders.

“Bringing the Waterbury Branch Line into the 21st century means delivering stations that are accessible, comfortable and built for how people travel today,” said CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “This is a major step forward for riders and the communities along the line. I’m grateful to the Lamont administration, our Congressional delegation and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration for helping make it happen.”

To support construction, CTDOT says that rail service will be temporarily replaced with bus service on the Waterbury Branch Line from July 20, 2026, through May 31, 2027. Because the line operates on a single track, the department notes that major work at the Ansonia and Beacon Falls stations cannot be completed while trains are running. CTDOT notes this includes shifting the track to align with new, longer platforms. Suspending service allows crews to work at both locations at the same time and complete the work as quickly as possible, according to the department.

The outage also allows CTDOT to advance bridge, signal and infrastructure upgrades between Stratford and Bridgeport where the Waterbury Branch Line connects to the New Haven Line. Coordinating this work, which is under the Track Improvement Mobility Enhancement for Connecticut (TIME FOR CT) Program , reduces the need for additional future disruptions and keeps the overall project on schedule, according to CTDOT.

By completing these efforts together, the state says it expects to save more than $47 million and shorten the Waterbury Station improvements by approximately one year. These savings are driven in large part by using a single extended outage to complete both the station track work and TIME For CT improvements, according to the department.

“These improvements will make it easier for people to reach jobs throughout the region, support local businesses by bringing more activity to the area and help communities attract new development and new investment,” said Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek. “As ridership continues to increase on the Waterbury Branch, at some stations exceeding 200% of 2019 levels, these station upgrades will allow us to provide a more seamless travel experience across the entire region."