Connecticut’s train commuters could soon be shelling out more to ride the rails.
The state Department of Transportation is proposing a fare hike for Metro-North services in Connecticut, as well as CTrail’s Hartford Line and Shore Line East.
“Fares are a critical source of revenue for us as we look to fund the day-to-day operations of the rail service,” said Benjamin Limmer, chief of the Bureau of Public Transportation at the state DOT, at a Tuesday public hearing in New Haven. “Our goal is to really keep the service levels as they are.”
Under the proposal, fares would increase by 5% in September of this year and another 5% next July.
State Sen. Christine Cohen, a Guilford Democrat who co-chairs the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, told Connecticut Public she has concerns about the fare increase.
“I’m disappointed that the budget doesn't provide the funds necessary to maintain service, and ultimately will result in this rate hike that is going to put additional pressure on our consumers, who are already feeling inflationary pressures,” Cohen said.
“I want to make riding our public transportation systems affordable and easy, and any hindrance to that could be problematic,” she said.
Jim Gildea chairs the Connecticut Public Transportation Council, a group that advocates for transit riders in the state. He told Connecticut Public he’s not worried about the fare increase.
“I think the time has come,” Gildea said. “It’s been a while.”
According to the state DOT, rail fares were last increased in 2023.
Gildea said one exception he might make would be for riders of Shore Line East, which has not seen service improvements in the same way other rail lines in the state have.
“I certainly understand the frustration of the Shore Line East rail commuter when it comes to fare hikes,” he said. “Everywhere else except the Shore Line East, there is a solid commitment to improve service and the day-to-day commute.”
Cohen also expressed concern for what a fare hike might mean for ridership on Shore Line East.
“It's the only rail line that wasn't brought back to service levels, or saw an increase in service levels, since the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cohen said. “So now to add a fare increase on top of that, when we're not talking about a fare increase that would result in enhanced service or extra runtime at peak times – that's really difficult to justify, and I think could, in fact, hurt ridership further.”
The DOT is holding virtual hearings on Monday June 30 and Tuesday July 1 to receive public input on the proposed fare increase. More information is available at their website.
