Talk about trains for Christmas! Gov. Jodi M. Rell said this week that Metro-North should be getting 13 new locomotives to the tune of $25 million, so that more commuters would ride the rails to help ease highway congestion. The State Bond Commission is expected to approve the funds Friday, Dec. 9, Rell said.
“Attracting commuters has been hampered by decreasing reliability and the age of the existing rail fleet,” said Rell. “These new locomotives will improve reliability and increase flexibility in meeting the growing need on the New Haven line.”
Steve Korta, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, said that until last year the state’s rail system “had suffered from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance.”
“As we continue to invest in a first-rate rail system, we will see more and more people using commuter rail,” he said.
Korta noted that efforts to improve the rail system have already included adding 1,200 seats to the New Haven line.
“These locomotives will allow us to nearly double that number,” he said. “As we continue to invest in a first-rate rail system, we will see more and more people using commuter rail.”
