Frequently Asked Questions

What is Shore Line East?

Shore Line East is a commuter rail service that runs regularly between Old Saybrook and New Haven, where it connects with MetroNorth. Like all public transportation, Shore Line East is subsidized by the government, making it affordable for everyone.

Doesn’t Shore Line East come to New London already?

New London does not have regular Shore Line East service.

Only one Shore Line East train comes to New London on weekdays. It drops off riders at 7:48PM and leaves for New Haven at 7:55PM. New London and Mystic are the only train stations along the Connecticut coastline without regular commuter rail service. Furthermore, the stretch between Old Saybrook, CT and T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island is the only section of the Northeast Corridor that does NOT have commuter rail service paralleling Amtrak service.

Aren’t Shore Line East ticket-holders allowed to ride some Amtrak trains? Instead of bringing a new train service to New London, why not negotiate with Amtrak to let more commuters ride more of their trains?

Currently, certain Amtrak trains honor only Shore Line East multi-ride and monthly passes. However the Amtrak schedule is not designed to accommodate the daily commuter and because Amtrak trains travel well beyond the Connecticut border, on-time arrivals and departures are an issue. Amtrak cannot be expected to provide full commuter service to southeastern Connecticut residents. We need our own commuter rail service in order to have a frequent and reliable train schedule in New London.

If legislation has passed already to expand Shore Line East, and money has been allocated for the project, why hasn’t the service arrived?

Although the trains, rails, station, platforms, parking, and funding are already in place, extending Shore Line East to New London requires the DOT to negotiate an agreement between several parties including DEP, Amtrak, and the CT Marine Trade Association. In February 2007, a DOT official said that negotiations with Amtrak would not hold up the expansion of Shore Line East. The DOT has had the funds to expand Shore Line East to New London since January 2008. We are asking the Rell administration to make the project a priority, especially because of the high cost of gas and the infrastructure and funds that have already been invested to make the project a reality.

More trains to New London means the bridges over the CT River, Niantic River and Shaws Cove will be closed more often. Won’t that negatively affect boaters and the boating industry?

Expanded SLE service will indeed bring more trains over these bridges. The greatest impact on boaters will be on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months of June, July and August. However, using the current Shore Line East schedule, two-thirds of Shore Line east trains will cross before 9:30AM and after 5:00PM.

We are concerned with the impact expanded service will have on the boating industry and want to be a part of negotiations so that our views are represented as well as boaters’. We would like to achieve a balance that addresses the needs of the general economy and the needs of the boaters.

Won’t New London need more parking spaces to accommodate Shore Line East riders? How much will that cost?

We do not need to build any new parking—there are over 1400 parking spaces available in New London, well within walking distance of Union Station. A typical SLE station uses no more than 250 spaces.

Also, adding New London as the last stop on Shore Line East will ease the parking crisis Old Saybrook and New Haven as more southeastern CT travelers would use the New London station rather than drive on I-95 to Saybrook or New Haven. Using parking structures already built will save the state $2-4 million.

I am not a commuter; how will Shore Line East service in New London affect me?

Whether you’re a regular rider or not, the wide-reaching benefits of public transportation services like Shore Line East will affect you. Shore Line East service in New London will allow hundreds of commuters to take a train instead of driving; fewer cars on I-95 means less traffic, fewer car accidents and reduced pollution. A regular commuter rail service raises property values, widens the job pool for employers and employees, and stimulates local business. New London will benefit from regular commuters coming into the city daily. Southeastern Connecticut will be more accessible to tourists from New Haven, New York and beyond. Finally, Shore Line East will make those points south accessible for residents of southeastern Connecticut; students, tourists and other travelers will have a convenient and affordable means of going between New London, New Haven and New York.

To learn more about how good public transportation affects those who do not ride it, click here.

How can I contact members of the Shore Line East Coalition?

onemorestop@gmail.com

Send an email and one of the SLE Coalition members will respond to you as soon as we can!