- Rail Freight In Connecticut Today -
by Commissioner Richard Carpenter
1. Connecticut receives most rail freight traffic from the north, specifically through four Massachusetts cities and towns:
Pittsfield, where the Housatonic Railroad connects with CSX.
Springfield, where Connecticut Southern
connects with CSX and through
which the Springfield Terminal Rail System reaches Connecticut.
Palmer, through which the New England Central reaches Connecticut.
and
Worcester, through which the Providence and Worcester Railroad reaches Connecticut.
2. Connecticut receives only local freight from New York City via CSX, as far as South Norwalk. Also, it is possible for Connecticut to receive freight from Rhode Island through Westerly, via the Providence and Worcester Railroad.
3. Within Connecticut, there are several of the short line railroads: the Central New England, serving certain short branches in the Hartford area; the Naugatuck, serving the branch northwest of Waterbury; and Branford Steam Railroad, serving the Tilcon quarry operation in North Branford. Central New England connects with Connecticut Southern; Naugatuck with Springfield Terminal; and Branford Steam with Providence and Worcester.
4. Nearly all this rail freight service is local, designed to serve on line shippers and off-line shippers through bulk delivery terminals in Newtown (Housatonic) and North Haven (CSX). Providence and Worcester has an agreement with CSX which permits it to operate stone trains from New Haven to Fresh Pond Junction in Long Island, New York. Any other rail freight which P&W wishes to ship to or from New York City or Long Island, must be routed via Connecticut Southern to Springfield, thence via CSX to Selkirk Yard, near Albany, thence via CSX down the east side of the Hudson River to New York City and Long Island. Providence and Worcester has moved some coal shipments from the Port to the Mount Tom power generating plant north of Holyoke, Massachusetts, via New Haven, New London and Worcester.
5. There is no double-stack, single stack, container-on-flatcar, trailer-on-flatcar, or Road Railer rail freight service to, from or through Connecticut. Despite low overhead clearances, particularly between New York City and New Haven, it would be possible for single stack, container-on-flatcar, trailers in well cars and Road Railers to operate between New York City and New Haven. However, CSX, which controls freight service on that critial corridor, prefers to route such traffic via Selkirk Yard. And ConnDOT policy, as the owner of the Connecticut portion of the New Haven Line discourages such rail freight service.