WELCOME!

...to the Danbury Branch Phase II Study Website. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) launched the Danbury Branch Electrification Feasibility Study to evaluate the feasibility of electrifying the Danbury Branch commuter rail line as well as other possible alternatives to improve rail service on the Branch. Phase I of the Study was completed in 2006 and the results are posted on this website. Phase II of the Study began in November 2007, and includes further refinement of selected improvement alternatives, performance of a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and selection of a preferred alternative(s). This project website will be actively used as an additional tool to help keep the public informed of all activities in the EIS process.

News!

06/28/10 - See ConnDOT's Danbury Branch EIS Video!: A video explaining the EIS process and the proposed alternatives is now available on this website. Click here to watch the video.

06/21/10 - Pre-DEIS Public Meetings: A series of pre-DEIS public information meetings were held on June 15 in Wilton, June 16 in Brookfield, and June 17 in Bethel. To view the presentation from these meetings, please click here. To view the newsletter distributed at the meeting, please click here.

06/15/10 - Online Comment Form: An electronic version of the comment form being distributed at the Danbury Branch pre-Draft Environmental Impact Statement public informational meetings is now available. If you attended one of these meetings and did not turn in your form before leaving, please click here to access the Comment Form.

05/28/10 - Upcoming Public Meetings: A series of pre-Draft Environmental Impact Statement public informational meetings regarding the Danbury Branch Study will be held on June 15 in Wilton, June 16 in Brookfield, and June 17 in Bethel. At each meeting, a brief presentation will be given to discuss the project’s purpose, need, and the five alternatives being evaluated to improve passenger rail service on the Branch. An informational video, maps, and boards will be on display. Study team representatives will also be available to answer questions. Comments may be given verbally or in writing at each meeting. For details on the date, time, and location of each meeting, please click here Public Meetings Announcement>>

05/12/10 - Upcoming SAC Meeting: The next Danbury Branch EIS Study Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 3, 2010 at the Ridgefield, CT Town Hall Conference Room from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

03/30/10 - SAC Meeting: The Study Advisory Committee (SAC) met on March 17, 2010 for an update on progress of the Danbury Branch EIS study. The project team gave a presentation on project status and schedule; representatives of CT DOT also gave an update on the latest progress of the Danbury Centralized Train Control and Signalization Project, a project that must be completed before improvements proposed in the EIS can be implemented. This combined presentation is posted on the webpage along with notes from the meeting. It is anticipated the next SAC meeting will be held in late spring and that a public Pre-Draft Environmental Impact Statement briefing will be held at the end of spring 2010. Please click hereSAC Presentation>>

03/09/10 - Upcoming SAC Meeting: The next Danbury Branch EIS Study Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at the Ridgefield, CT Town Hall Conference Room from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. For the agenda, please click hereSAC Meeting Agenda>>

12/10/2009 - Project Update: The first stage of the Danbury Branch Alternatives Analsysis EIS project is nearing completion. This involves completion of all technical documentation regarding the existing conditions and identification of alternatives for improvements to the Branch. We anticipate posting all 18 of these Tech Memos on the website soon and plan to host the next Study Advisory Committee meeting in early 2010. A letter will be sent to all committee members advising of the meeting date and time, as well as availability of additional technical documents.

08/31/2009 - We want your input! We have received many emails over the past year from people with an interest in the future of the Danbury Branch. To encourage even more input, we've added a new feature to this website. Click on "Get Involved" and you will have an opportuinity to provide your input or comments online regarding any aspect of this project. A record of all comments received will be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) public involvement record.

Study Advisory Committe Meeting was held on June 23, 2009: The first Study Advisory Committee Meeting of the Danbury Branch FTA Alternatives Analysis/EIS was held at the Ridgefield Town Hall on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Nearly thirty committee members attended, including representatives from Metro-North Railroad, the South Western Regional Planning Agency, the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Connecticut General Assembly, the Connecticut Public Transportation Commission, the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, Housatonic Area Regional Transit, Housatonic Railroad Company, the New Milford Rail Restoration Society, Providence and Worcester Railroad, as well as a number of towns along the Branch. The Town of Ridgefield, with the assistance of First Selectman Rudy Marconi’s office, hosted the meeting. Representatives from the URS Project Team were also on hand to give a presentation detailing the project’s status and next steps. A copy of the presentation is posted on this website. The next Study Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Fall 2009.. More>>

04/20/09 - Draft Potential Rail Passenger Survey: Two types of surveys for the Danbury Branch EIS were developed and conducted. The first, a survey existing passengers on the Danbury Branch to ascertain their various characteristics, preferences, and desires was previously reported. The results of the second survey, a non-rail use telephone survey are presented in this report More>>

03/31/09 - SPRING UPDATE 2009: Work on the Danbury Branch EIS is continuing on schedule. A detailed project update and information on the next Study Advisory Committee Meeting is provided in a letter to all Study Advisory Committee members More>>

10/10/08 - NEW FACILITIES AT CANNONDALE STATION: The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) today announced the opening of a new restroom facility at the Cannondale Train Station. The new stand-alone building was constructed as an upgrade to the Cannondale Station and is part of the state’s effort to improve and enhance amenities at New Haven Line stations.More>>

10/03/08 - RAIL SCHEDULE CHANGES: The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) today reminded rail customers that beginning Sunday, October 5th, a new fall schedule will go in to affect for New Haven Line (NHL) and Shore Line East (SLE). The fall schedule will provide new rail service on the Danbury and Waterbury Branch Lines, and new eastbound evening service from Stamford to New Haven to reduce a 47 minute service gap in this critical commuter time period.More>>

The project’s purpose and need, the initial set of alternatives proposed for improving rail service on the Branch and the scope of work for the EIS phase were presented at these meetings. The Comment Period for this scoping process has ended. Results of the Scoping Meetings will be posted soon on this website. If you wish to contact us regarding this study, click here info@danburybranchstudy.com

Thank you for your interest in Danbury Branch EIS.

Click Here for the most recent Connecticut Rail Transportation Ownership and Service Map!

Learn About the Study Use the links above to access information regarding the Study. You can learn about the history of the Study, an overview of the Study, the schedule and upcoming meetings. You may also browse official Study Documents.

Get Involved Click on Get Involved to learn about public participation components. On this link you can contact the Study Team, join the Study Mailing List and find out about our outreach meetings and planned activities. Your questions and comments are very important to us and we look forward to hearing from you. We encourage you to visit the site often to share your thoughts, stay informed and learn about this important Study.

Stay Informed

This website is part of the Public Participation Plan being conducted for the Study and is being facilitated by the ConnDOT. This web site was first launched on August 22, 2003. It will be updated regularly during Phase II.