Choo-choo (should) go bye-bye
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Why Connecticut could pull electric trains off a rail line in favor of diesel
In 2022, state and federal officials touted the rollout of electric trains on Shore Line East, saying they were quieter, more comfortable and better for the environment than the diesel-powered equipment they were replacing.
The M8 trains, already in service on the New Haven line for more than a decade at that point, “have long been awaited by Shore Line East customers and represent a substantial improvement over the older diesel-powered train sets,” Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said at the time.
“Electric trains emit no carbon emissions,” the office said. [Little-known fact: they run on hot air and unicorn urine — Ed]
But [now] the Connecticut Department of Transportation is looking to bring diesel trains back to Shore Line East between New London and New Haven, saying it will save the state $8.8 million annually.
About time, too; this New Haven to New London line has been colossal waste of money for decades, a boondoggle that makes the amount spent on that similarly underused “green” train to nowhere, from New Haven to Hartford, look cheap. How much waste? How much money is spent ferrying 180 people a day along the 40-mile trip to New London? A whole bunch:
How much does a train ticket cost Connecticut taxpayers? Maybe more than you think
When 2025 ends, the state Department of Transportation estimates that there will be 218,294 rides on the Shore Line East line and those riders will pay a total of $720,000 in fares. That means about 98% of the $40.8 million it takes to operate the line needs to be subsidized.
The remaining $40.1 million is taxpayer subsidized, meaning it costs the state and average of $183.77 every time someone takes a ride on Shore Line East.
The subsidies required to operate Shore Line East are higher than the other rail lines in the state. The Hartford line, with its 840,693 passengers, needs 94 percent of its $69.6 million operating costs subsidized, a total of $65.6 million or $78 per ride.