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June 2, 2022

State secures $13.8M federal grant to build Enfield Train Station

HBJ PHOTO | ZACHARY VASILE Enfield Mayor Bob Cressotti points out the location of the planned Hartford Line train platform in the Thompsonville section of town.
By Andrew Larson

Enfield will have its own train platform for the first time in more than 35 years with the help of a $13.8 million federal grant, state officials announced Thursday.

The train station will be located in the Thompsonville section, and officials say it will mean more economic opportunities and revitalization for northeastern Connecticut. 

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said the return of rail service to Enfield is long-overdue. His team worked with Enfield officials, the Connecticut Department of Transportation and local leaders throughout eastern Connecticut for more than decade to garner support for the project.

Officials submitted a grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation and recently received a response from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg informing them of the award.

The future train station at Bigelow Commons is an example of "smart development to get our state growing and moving again," DOT Commissioner Joe Giulietti said.

Courtney, Gov. Ned Lamont, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy made the announcement during a news conference and were joined by Giulietti, Mayor Robert Cressotti and state Rep. Tom Arnone.

The state Bond Commission last year approved $35 million for a new Hartford Line train platform in Enfield, saying it would provide a faster, more convenient rail commute to Hartford and Springfield.

The Lamont administration has made it a priority to steer funding to rail projects over the last year, taking advantage of massive federal pandemic-relief spending to shore up transportation infrastructure that could more efficiently link Connecticut’s cities with New York and Massachusetts and relieve overcrowding on the state’s aging highways, which have become a source of not only frustration but significant air pollution.

The Enfield project is part of the effort to address the state’s most congested areas and transform its roads, bridges, rail, buses, ports and airports into “an efficient network that supports the needs of businesses and the people who live here,” according to a news release.

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