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State Investing $17.5 Million In Rail Yard Upgrades On Danbury Branch

NORWALK, Conn. — The rail yard in Norwalk for Metro-North's Danbury Branch trains will be rebuilt thanks to the approval of $17.5 million in state funding on Friday. 

Gov. Dannel Malloy is surrounded by local, state and federal officials near the Walk Bridge in Norwalk. The state on Friday approved funds for improvements at the Norwalk rail yard, a project linked to the Walk Bridge replacement.

Gov. Dannel Malloy is surrounded by local, state and federal officials near the Walk Bridge in Norwalk. The state on Friday approved funds for improvements at the Norwalk rail yard, a project linked to the Walk Bridge replacement.

Photo Credit: Casey Donahue, File

The State Bond Commission approved the funding for the design, engineering, and construction work at the rail yard, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced. 

The funding comes under Malloy’s “Let’s Go CT!” initiative, which is making investments to upgrade and modernize the state’s transportation system.

“Connecticut is home to the busiest commuter rail line in the country with about 40 million passenger trips annually and growing," Malloy said. "Rail is increasingly becoming a popular method of transportation, and the upgrades that we are making to the Danbury Branch Line will serve to accommodate the commuters and businesses who depend on this service for their day-to-day needs. 

The funding will be used to make several modifications and enhancements at the rail yard. It is located  where the Danbury Branch Line connects with the main New Haven Line, and the work will accommodate the replacement of the 119-year-old Walk Bridge, which carries the main tracks over the Norwalk River.

“Various improvements such as adding track sidings, signal work, and electrification will be made at the southern end of the branch line and will promote train operational efficiencies, including room for train storage and passing of trains during the Walk Bridge replacement project,” Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker said.

“Our rail infrastructure and the Metro-North line play a vital role in our economy and the daily lives of Connecticut commuters,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said. “By making critical upgrades to the Danbury Branch Line we will improve safety, increase ridership, and invest in our economy.”

Long-term, the Danbury Branch “Dock Yard Improvement Project” will also provide additional electrified trackage for the New Haven Line.

The stops on the Danbury Branch are: Danbury, Bethel, West Redding, Branchville, Cannondale, Wilton, Merritt 7 and South Norwalk, where it connects with the electrified New Haven Line. 

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