CT: Why Connecticut could pull electric trains off a rail line in favor of diesel

In 2022, state and federal officials touted the rollout of electric trains on Shore Line East, saying they were quieter, more comfortable and better for the environment than the diesel-powered equipment they were replacing.

The M8 trains, already in service on the New Haven line for more than a decade at that point, "have long been awaited by Shore Line East customers and represent a substantial improvement over the older diesel-powered train sets," Gov. Ned Lamont's office said at the time.

"Electric trains emit no carbon emissions," the office said. Plus, they have "additional amenities for riders, such as electrical outlets at each seat, brighter interior spaces, updated restrooms, higher back seats, and improved luggage racks."

State and local officials also said they hoped the trains would help draw more passengers to the line amid a struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic's hit to ridership.

But the Connecticut Department of Transportation is looking to bring diesel trains back to Shore Line East between New London and New Haven, saying it will save the state $8.8 million annually.

"We were asked to find savings," DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said Wednesday during a budget presentation before the state legislature's Appropriations Committee. "This was we believe to be the most appealing one, to not have to cut service anywhere in the state but find savings."

Using electric trains on Shore Line East is particularly expensive because Amtrak owns the infrastructure along the line, Eucalitto explained. DOT must pay Amtrak not only to use the tracks but also to draw power from the overheard wires. That's on top of what DOT has to pay for the electricity itself, he said.

The savings from using diesel trains will help offset a roughly $19.7 increase Lamont has requested for rail operations, according to a fiscal analysis of the governor's budget proposals for DOT.

Asked about the proposed increase Wednesday, Eucalitto said DOT continues to draw down federal COVID relief funding, creating a gap that requires additional state appropriations to fill, while costs for labor, materials and equipment have risen. And fares already increased by 5% in September and are set to increase by another 5% in July in the name of maintaining service levels.

After the meeting, state Sen. Christine Cohen, D- Guilford, who co-chairs the General Assembly's Transportation Committee, said she understands the need to find cost savings and appreciates DOT's effort to avoid service cuts.

Still, she said she is "very concerned" about the plan to return to diesel trains, especially after President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday rescinded a finding that greenhouse gases threaten public health, which has served as the basis for regulations to combat climate change.

"I think we need to have a broader conversation about that and our climate goals," Cohen said.

Josh Morgan, DOT's communications director, said that during "recent locomotive overhauls," "adjustments were made to reduce emissions to the greatest extent possible on the diesel sets."

To Susan Feaster, the founder of the Shore Line East Riders' Advocacy Group, DOT's plan to bring back diesel trains and not increase services — which remain below pre-pandemic levels — "means that they want to kill the train line."

"It seems like an all-out assault on Shore Line East and the riders," Feaster said. "The thing is everyone deserves transit, and we're on the Northeast Corridor, the largest corridor in the country. We're not some Podunk little area out in the Midwest... It just doesn't make any sense."

Currently, 20 weekday and 16 weekend trains run on Shore Line East, Morgan said.

About 225,000 passengers rode on line last year from January through November, according to the latest data posted to DOT's public transit dashboard. That's up from 2024's full-year ridership total of about 193,000 but still far below the 2019 level of more than 660,000.

Last year, a bill to restore Shore Line East's services to pre-pandemic levels didn't get a vote in the House or Senate. Proponents argued that more trains would make it more convenient to use the rail line and encourage more ridership, which in turn would reduce how much it costs the state to subsidize the line. But Lamont's office expressed concerns about the health of Connecticut's Special Transportation Fund.

Rob Blanchard, the governor's communications director, reiterated those concerns when asked about the plans for diesel trains.

"We remain concerned about the long-term health of the state's Special Transportation Fund (STF,) which it is projected to be in deficit before the end of the decade," he said. "The current per-passenger-trip subsidy for Shoreline East is significantly more than any other mass transit option in the state. We must balance the overall fiscal health of the STF with services that deliver value for Connecticut residents and businesses."

Lamont has also said that shoreline towns need more housing near their train stations to create more demand for service.

Feaster pointed out that a developer plans to turn the Westbrook Outlets, which is near a stop on Shore Line East, into a mix-use complex with apartments, townhomes and a hotel as well as restaurant and retail space as part of a $425 million project.

"Just think how they're going to feel when they're thinking they're going to be having a nice train line and they're going to get a dog of a train line that has diesels back," she said.

If the diesel trains return, Feaster said fares should be reduced.

"Because the diesel trains, yeah, they roll, but they have nothing in them," she said. "They have no charging... It's like going back to the Dark Ages."

Morgan said Shore Line East riders are familiar with the trains, made by Mafersa, which were previously used on the line and are still used at times today when M8s aren't available.

"Mafersa trains are also used every day on the Hartford Line, where they provide reliable passenger rail service," he said. "Seating, restrooms, and accessibility features remain in place."

He noted that new passenger coaches DOT ordered from Alstom are expected to enter service next year. The 60 new cars will run on the Hartford Line, the Waterbury and Danbury branch lines and Shore Line East, Morgan said.

One M8 set will continue to operate on the line's limited weekday thru service to Stamford. The rest "will go back for reserve use on the New Haven Line," Morgan said.

Jim Gildea, who chairs the Connecticut Public Transportation Council, said he sympathizes with Shore Line East riders, who have probably gotten used to the "better ride" on the M8s.

"I certainly understand the frustration of the Shore Line East commuter who just sits back and has to take one more disappointment and one more reminder of the fact that they are a low priority on the rail totem pole," Gildea said.

During Wednesday's Appropriations Committee meeting, state Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R- Tolland, asked if there were more opportunities for DOT to swap out electric trains for diesel trains.

"Because $8.8 million is a pretty significant savings," Nuccio said.

Eucalitto said the Waterbury and Danbury branch lines and the Hartford Line aren't electrified, so those trains already have diesel engines. He said the trains that run on the main New Haven Line need to at least be able to switch to electric power to enter Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

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