New London Tube: Central Rail Corridor Excursion

New London residents already have the convenience of hopping a train at Union Station and heading to Boston or New York. A proposal that's been simmering at various levels of government would set up a rail line to head north to Vermont as well.

This video clip shows a special train chartered by the Central Corridor Line Rail Coalition on Oct. 4. Designed to promote the benefits of passenger service between Brattleboro and New London and sponsored by RailAmerica, owner of the New England Central Railroad, organizers also set it up with a few luxury cars once used by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Here, a trainspotter catches the locomotives and carriages as they go over a crossing in Yantic.

The proposed Central Corridor Line would include stops in Norwich, Willimantic, Mansfield/Storrs, and Stafford Springs in Connecticut as well as Palmer, Amherst, and Millers Falls in Massachusetts. The coalition says this would serve the large student populations at the University of Connecticut in Storrs as well as the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and 11 smaller colleges. It says the line would prove popular with commuters and people seeking to visit the region.

The coalition also says improvement of the line would allow for more efficient use of freight transport from New London's deep water port. From Brattleboro, the rail line extends up into Canada.

"By linking the universities and towns of its area, the Central Corridor Line will improve access to regional economic engines," the coalition states. "The region will be more attractive and competitive for tourist dollars, benefiting retail shops, restaurants, lodging, resorts and the entire economy."

Several rail organizations and local governments along the line are part of the coalition. A recently opened $21.8 million transportation center in Norwich includes a second phase anticipating passenger service along such a rail line. Currently the coalition is working to strengthen such partnerships and support and secure funding for the project. This will be more of a challenge than the upgrades to the rail section in Vermont, which involved the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

What do you think of the Central Corridor Line idea? Let us know in the comments.

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