Power Upgrade Completed On Metro-North's New Haven Line

The upgrade gives the New Haven Line full backup power for trains traveling the eastbound and westbound lines.

“The execution of this project demonstrated the strong partnership among DOT, Metro-North and CL&P and the benefits of a comprehensive plan for executing the projects with extensive planning and contingency plans that ensured successful delivery of the project on schedule,” DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said in a statement.

“This project was designed to prevent the type of catastrophic power failure that occurred last fall in Mount Vernon, N.Y., seriously disrupting New Haven Line service,” Malloy said in a statement. “In addition, it will allow us to add more service on the New Haven Line as we move forward.”

The project doubled the capacity of the two westbound transformers from 16 megawatts to 30 megawatts, matching the capacity of the two eastbound transformers that had been previously replaced. This increases the power supply for trains and implements redundant power for this portion of the New Haven Line.

The New Haven Line, the busiest commuter line in the country, has been inundated with problems over the last year, including a derailment near Fairfield that injured dozens and a power outage that left the line crippled for days. 

A recent study from the Regional Plan Association said the New Haven Line required decades of work and more than $3.6 billion to fully modernize the 60-mile stretch of rail. 

“This project was designed to prevent the type of catastrophic power failure that occurred last fall in Mount Vernon, New York, seriously disrupting New Haven Line service,” Malloy said in a statement. “In addition, it will allow us to add more service on the New Haven Line as we move forward.”

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