Union Station (New Haven)

Following the Second World War, railroads faced increasing competition from airlines and automobiles, and passenger train service declined. The New Haven Railroad began to neglect the station's maintenance due to its own financial troubles. In 1973, the station was purchased from New Haven Railroad successor Penn Central by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.[8] That same year, the station building was closed to passengers as a means of reducing expenses, leaving only the station platforms and the connecting tunnels in use.[9]

A New Haven Railroad train at Union Station in 1968

In 1982, the city of New Haven and the New Haven Parking Authority signed an agreement with the state of Connecticut to rehabilitate and reopen the station, along with improvements such as building a parking garage.[10] A $28 million rehabilitation project began on March 28, 1983, with a combination of state and federal funding.[11][12] Restoration included repairing the station's marble furnishings, repairing the large globe lights that hung from the ceiling, cleaning the walls and ceiling, and repairing and installing new wooden benches.[12] With rehabilitation complete, the station building reopened to passengers in 1985.[5] Since then, the station has been operated by the New Haven Parking Authority, while the station has been leased to the city of New Haven by the state government.[10][13]

Acela Express at New Haven in 2007

Amtrak runs frequent service through Union Station along the electrified Northeast Corridor rail line. Most Amtrak trains are Northeast Regional trains or Acela trains operating between Washington, D.C., and Boston.[14]

Hartford Line trains run to Springfield, Massachusetts via Hartford and Valley Flyer trains travel along the same route but continue on to Greenfield, Massachusetts.[15] Some of these trains connect with Northeast Regional trains; other Northeast Regionals run through to Springfield from New York or vice versa.[14] These through trains must change locomotives at New Haven, as the track north to Springfield is not electrified, unlike the Northeast Corridor. The locomotive change is from a Siemens ACS-64 for the electrified territory to a General Electric P40DC or P42DC for the non-electrified territory, or vice versa. Prior to 2000, when the Northeast Corridor was electrified all the way to Boston, all trains continuing north of Union Station had to change from diesel to electric power.

Additionally, the Vermonter provides through service from Washington, D.C., beyond Springfield to St. Albans, Vermont.[15] At New Haven, the Vermonter also has a P42DC diesel-electric locomotive added to the train.

Amtrak operates a yard on the west side of the tracks, next to the station building.

Because of United Airlines code sharing on select Amtrak trains between Union Station and its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in the New York City area, Union Station is assigned the IATA airport code of ZVE.[16]

New Haven Union Station is the busiest Amtrak station in Connecticut. The station is the tenth busiest Amtrak station in the country, boarding or detraining nearly two thousand passengers daily.[17]

In March 2020, Vermonter service north of the station was suspended indefinitely as part of a reduced service plan due to the coronavirus pandemic.[18][19] The Vermonter resumed its normal service on July 19, 2021.[20]

Cross-platform transfer between Metro-North (left) and Shore Line East trains at New Haven

Metro-North Railroad operates its New Haven Line from Union Station to Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The service is well patronized by commuters, despite the travel time of about two hours. Shore Line East and Metro-North work together on schedules to provide quick transfers of trains for commuters traveling from the Shoreline to Grand Central Terminal or Stamford.[21]

Metro-North operates New Haven Yard on the east side of the tracks, opposite Amtrak's yard. Work is done here, as well as the storing of train cars and locomotives. Smaller yards are located in Bridgeport and Stamford.

A select number of trains start or end their run two minutes to the east at New Haven State Street.[21]

Two rail services run by the Connecticut Department of Transportation under the CTrail brand are based at New Haven. Shore Line East runs between New Haven and New London on the Northeast Corridor, with limited peak-hour service west of New Haven. The Hartford Line runs between New Haven and Springfield on the New Haven–Springfield Line. Service launched on June 16, 2018.[22]

On April 20, 2020, the station became the indefinite western terminus for Shore Line East service, running on a limited schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic.[23]

CTtransit's New Haven Division provides bus service to the station on four routes.[24] One is a free shuttle that connects Union Station to downtown and the New Haven Green for connections to the remainder of the CTTransit New Haven routes, only running on weekdays.[25] Route 271 on the Kimberly Avenue route to Savin Rock and Milford also serves the station. Route 272 serves Union Station from downtown New Haven via South Church Street and returns to downtown New Haven. Route 278 is the Commuter Connection only on afternoon times connecting Shore Line East.

Other providers at Union Station are Greyhound, Megabus, Peter Pan, and the Yale University Shuttle.[26][27][28]