Stonington resident Chris Wenderoth supports extending Shore Line East rail service to Westerly, including a stop at the Mystic train station, as downtown Mystic experiences traffic congestion and parking issues.

“I think having more regular service on Shore Line East into Mystic would go a long way to relieve that,” he said.

Wenderoth is among a group of residents and officials in favor of increasing public transportation options here.

Three years ago, the state Department of Transportation studied a potential extension of Shore Line East, a state commuter rail line that runs from New Haven to New London, but no further steps have been taken as the work would require significant funding and face permitting challenges.

Some, such as Wenderoth, say overcoming infrastructure challenges to implementing Shore Line East at the existing Roosevelt Avenue train station that serves Amtrak is a matter of will and funding.

“The key to improving parking in downtown is to control the congestion, which can be helped considerably by removing as many cars as possible,” said Groton Town Manager John Burt. “Alternate parking with a shuttle, as well as train service, can both accomplish this.”

Stonington First Selectman Bill Middleton also is in favor of giving people more options to get to Mystic without a car, with possibilities ranging from rail to adding commercial flights into Groton-New London Airport. Middleton thinks people from cities like to visit places without a car, so he’d like to see more Amtrak trains. He also called for adding Shore Line East to Mystic, noting the tourist destination sends a lot of tax revenue to the state and increased rail would only continue that.

“It’s very feasible,” Middleton said. “It becomes a question of political will.”

Noank resident Ed Johnson, who was part of a local study group that surveyed traffic issues and how rail could reduce the reliance on private cars in Mystic, recommended additional parking areas near the Route 27 and Interstate 95 interchange, a boat ferry to drop off people at the Mystic Seaport Museum and near the drawbridge, and a bus trolley along Route 27 that could make a loop at the Mystic train station.

Johnson supported having Shore Line East and Amtrak trains make more stops at the Mystic and Westerly train stations. Traveling on Amtrak is often significantly more expensive than commuter rail such as Metro North and Shore Line East.

Connecticut Commuter Rail Council Chairman Jim Gildea, an advocate for Shore Line East, called for restoring and expanding service along the existing line and extending service to Mystic.

“Mystic and the surrounding shoreline corridor are among Connecticut’s premier tourist destinations, attracting visitors from across the region and beyond,” said Gildea. “Extending rail service to Mystic would support tourism, strengthen the local economy, reduce congestion on I-95, and provide residents and visitors with a convenient transportation alternative.”

During a recent forum in New London on the state’s rail plan, Groton Town Councilor Kevin Fitzgerald said the possibility of also adding a train station in the main commercial area of Groton would be pretty huge for the town, and a next step would be to implement the zoning to bring walkable development around the station.

Is it feasible?

Rail advocate and planner Alex Berardo, a member of the Shore Line East Riders Advocacy Group and Westerly Rail Advocates, said the study analyzed a phased approach to extending Shore Line East, with the first phase envisioned as trains stopping at the Mystic and Westerly stations, and later phases envisioned as building new stations in Groton, Stonington and an alternative station in Mystic. Overall, the full buildout for the expansion proposal was identified at $243.2 million.

However, Berardo said there are less expensive options for extending Shore Line East, such as starting with service targeted to Mystic visitors.

He said while a sharp curve at the existing Mystic station poses a challenge to building a typical high-level platform to conform with ADA requirements, interim options would include mini-high platforms or ramps.

Berardo said earlier this year, the DOT started using its older diesel trains, which have coaches with built-in stairs, so high-level platforms are no longer a prerequisite to extending Shore Line East. If the DOT continues to run the diesel trains, the only piece of infrastructure needed to run Shore Line East trains to Mystic would be a “turn track” in Westerly, projected to cost $4.5 million in 2035 dollars.

He said extending Shore Line East to Mystic entails extending service to Westerly as “a package deal,” a benefit because Westerly draws tourists during the summer and would strengthen the chances of success for a seasonal train service. He said additional parking wouldn’t be needed at the Mystic station if the service is geared towards tourists walking from the station to downtown Mystic.

But state DOT Spokeswoman Eva Zymaris said that while existing coaches are capable of serving low-level platforms, they are scheduled to be replaced within the next few years by new equipment, which will not be compatible with low-level boarding. She said two Shore Line East trains currently operate with Metro-North’s M8 trains, which cannot access low-level platforms.

She added that any extension of Shore Line East service would require Amtrak’s approval, including negotiating access to train slots that may conflict with Amtrak’s high‑speed operations. She said extending Shore Line service to Mystic would require additional train crews and equipment, resulting in higher operating costs. U.S. Coast Guard and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection approvals also would be required. In addition, low-level platforms east of New London do not meet current accessibility requirements.

Local legislators support rail service to Mystic

State Rep. Dan Gaiewski, D- 40th District, said during a forum for the state’s rail plan last month in New London that the legislature is always pushing for more funding for transportation and last session approved a $3 million increase in funding for Shore Line East.

State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D- 41st District, said during the forum that as more people move to the area due to the growth at Electric Boat and surrounding employers, the state has an opportunity to provide more commuter options for residents by extending Shore Line East through Westerly, including building a station in Groton, extending service to the Mystic Amtrak station, and potentially exploring a station in Stonington Borough.

State Sen. Heather Somers, R- 18th District, said she submits bills each legislative ses­sion to increase Shore Line East funding and have it stop in Mystic on week­ends between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

“It’s just a matter of focus and intention to make it happen,” said Somers.

She said legislators had to fight for funding for Shore Line East, which has not returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic service levels. She said while it’s frequently said Shore Line East is the most subsidized rail line in Connecticut, if the service isn’t frequent and popular stops aren’t available, it’s a chicken and egg situation.

Bus, Amtrak, airport

Southeast Area Transit District General Manager Michael Carroll has said a shuttle would cost about $140 an hour and face the same traffic as any other vehicles, but SEAT is willing to have a discussion about it. The transit district, however, currently faces challenges when it comes to driver and bus availability. A SEAT bus route currently runs from New London to Olde Mistick Village, and SEAT microtransit options are available on both sides of Mystic.

For Amtrak, on a typical day, about five northbound and four southbound trains stop in Mystic, said Jason Abrams, senior public relations manager for Amtrak. In fiscal year 2025, Amtrak had 48,784 customer trips out of Mystic. Abrams said expansion of service in Mystic is being evaluated as part of Amtrak’s New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study.

The Connecticut Airport Authority said in a statement that it has continued to pursue commercial air service at Groton-New London Airport for many years and will welcome any air carrier willing to launch such service in the future.

© 2026 The Day (New London, Conn.).
Visit www.theday.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.