The new Enfield Station is a critical component of the State of Connecticut’s plans for expansion of passenger rail service on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) rail line. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has conducted extensive planning to expand and improve passenger rail service on the existing, Amtrak-owned NHHS, Hartford rail line. The NHHS rail line diverges from the Northeast Corridor (NEC) north of New Haven, while the NEC continues south along the shoreline.

CTDOT, working with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Amtrak, proposed expanded passenger service from 6 to 17 round trips per day on the Hartford line. To achieve this expansion of service, effective June 16, 2018, Hartford line passengers were granted access to travel aboard most Amtrak trains on this corridor. CTDOT also completed upgrades to the State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, and Hartford Stations to serve increased passenger rail needs. Twelve round trips per day continue from Hartford to Springfield.

The proposed Enfield Station will be located on the Amtrak-owned NHHS, Hartford rail line. The anticipated tasks to construct this project are broken into five major components

• station platform and supporting structures, including parking;
• track and signals supporting the station platform;
• Main Street Bridge under-clearance improvements;
• construction force account support inspection; and
• an FTA grant used for bus access to rebuild Commerce Street and Main Street.

The track and signal work supporting the platform will begin at MP 43.8 and extend north to MP 54.7. It is anticipated that a new bridge deck will be provided on raised bridge seats supported by micro piles at the Main Street overpass at MP 53.98. The under-bridge clearance would be increased by approximately one foot to allow all non-permitted vehicles to pass under. Portions of Main Street and Commerce Street will be reconstructed to allow bus access to the new station and future connection to a Multimodal Transportation Center on the west side of the tracks using an FTA grant.

Federal Funding

The State of Connecticut applied for funding to improve the NHHS Corridor under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program. Between 2009 and 2011, Connecticut was awarded three HSIPR grants, totaling approximately $190.9 million, for the NHHS program.

In addition, Connecticut approved the use of up to $426 million in state bond proceeds to invest in FRA grant-supported NHHS Rail Corridor improvements.

The State of Connecticut received Federal funding through the FY2021 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, which requires review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). FTA has also awarded the State of Connecticut grant money for elements of this project.

Environmental Assessment

A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed for a Tier 1 Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Full‐Build NHHS Rail Program between New Haven and Springfield, including the Enfield Station improvements, on August 10, 2012. An EA is being completed for each of the individual elements of this project, addressing their respective impacts.

The proposed Enfield station and tracks have been advanced as a Tier 2 environmental document. An EA was prepared for FRA with FTA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) identified as cooperating agencies under NEPA. 

FRA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Project’s EA on August 26, 2024 with HUD as a cooperating agency to satisfy its NEPA obligations.

• Enfield Station EA
• Appendix 
• FONSI

FRA Points of Contact

Environmental Review:
Mequela Moreno, Environmental Protection Specialist 
USDOT Federal Railroad Administration 
RRD-30 Office Environmental Program Management
mequela.moreno@dot.gov

Media Queries Contact
Email: FRAPA@dot.gov
 

Permitting Dashboard

The U.S. Permitting Dashboard is an online tool for Federal agencies, project sponsors, and interested members of the public to track the Federal government’s environmental review and authorization processes for large or complex infrastructure projects. The Dashboard is part of a government-wide effort to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability. A link to this project’s page on the Dashboard is below.

• Permitting Dashboard Link