Four trains will be added to Shore Line East's weekday schedule starting Oct. 5, thanks to $3 million in funding that state lawmakers included in Connecticut's revised budget.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the increased rail service between New London and New Haven on Friday, saying the new trains "close gaps in the current schedule that made it harder to get to work, appointments and home to families and friends."

The additional trains, which will stop at all the stations along the line, include:

• CTrail 1628, which will depart from New Haven Union Station at 2:55 p.m. and arrive in New London at 4:05 p.m.
• CTrail 1640, which will depart from New Haven Union Station at 5:55 p.m. and arrive in New London at 7:05 p.m. This train will also connect with Metro-North Railroad's Super Express Train 3542, which departs from New York City at 4:11 p.m. and from Stamford at 4:44 p.m.
• CTrail 1683, which will depart from New London at 4:40 p.m. and arrive at New Haven Union Station at 5:49 p.m.
• CTrail 1693, which will depart from New London at 7:28 p.m. and arrive at New Haven Union Station at 8:37 p.m.

The updated schedule was based on input from Shore Line East riders, according to a release from Lamont's office.

"Shore Line East customers told us where they needed better service, and we took that feedback seriously," state Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said in the release.

The additions will increase the total number of weekday Shore Line East trains to 24. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 36 trains running on the line each weekday, though only 13 trains traveled all the way to New London because of infrastructure constraints at the time, Eucalitto has said.

Shore Line East's ridership, including through-service to Stamford, totaled about 660,000 in 2019. Last year, its total ridership was about 247,000.

Other passenger rail lines in the state have nearly returned to their pre-pandemic service levels or even exceeded them, according to data DOT provided to lawmakers. Ridership remains below pre-COVID levels on some of the lines, but Shore Line East lags the furthest behind.

Lamont's budget proposal for the fiscal year that began July 1 would have maintained the number of trains running on the line, but lawmakers later added the $3 million in funding to increase service.

State Sen. Christine Cohen, D- Guilford, who co-chairs the state legislature's Transportation Committee and has advocated for more trains on Shore Line East, cheered Friday's announcement.

"Shore Line East is a lifeline for commuters along Connecticut's southeastern shoreline, and especially in my district," Cohen said. "This investment ensures the service not only continues but also grows to meet riders' needs. With more reliable trains, more Connecticut residents can feel confident choosing Shore Line East as a convenient option to get to where they are going."

The legislature did accept a recommendation by the Lamont administration to bring diesel-powered trains back to the rail line. To run electric trains east of New Haven, DOT has said that it not only needs to cover electricity costs but also must pay a fee to Amtrak to draw power from the wires over the tracks because the company owns the infrastructure. State officials have projected that the return of diesel trains will lead to $8.8 million in savings per year.

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