HARTFORD, Conn. — Commuter rail service in Connecticut would remain at current levels under the fiscal 2027 budget plan introduced Wednesday, Feb. 4, by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The budget, which would take effect this July 1, calls for a funding increase of $19.66 million for rail service and $9.4 million for buses, as costs “continue to outpace ticket sales and revenue growth,” according to the accompanying budget statement. That statement also warns that transit funding will face a “fiscal cliff” in the next budget with the expiration of federal COVID relief funds, which total $45.6 million in the coming fiscal year.
The Connecticut Mirror news site reports that the co-chair of the state Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Christine Cohen, said she and other legislators would push for more funding to permit increased rail service, including on the Shore Line East operation between New Haven and New London, Conn.
Connecticut shares in the costs of Metro-North Railroad service in the state and operates the CTrail Hartford Line as well as Shore Line East.
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