A mockup of one of the 60 commuter railcars joining Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) fleet in late 2026 is now on display at Union Station in New Haven. Alstom landed the approximately $315 million base order for the single-level cars, with options to build 313 more, in August 2023.
The new railcars will expand the state’s fleet and replace older cars currently in use, some of which date to the 1990s, according to Alstom and CTDOT. They will run primarily on the 62-mile Hartford Line, which operates daily along the I-91 corridor between New Haven and Springfield, Mass., and currently uses Mafersa cars from Brazil that were originally built for Virginia Railway Express. The Hartford Line—a partnership of CTDOT, TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts, and Amtrak—connects at New Haven Union Station with MTA Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line for travel to southwestern Connecticut and Grand Central Terminal in New York City, and with CDOT’s Shoreline East commuter railroad (operated in partnership with Amtrak), which runs daily between New London and New Haven, with select weekday thru service to Stamford. CDOT also supports three branches off the New Haven Line that extend to New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury.
The new cars, part of Alstom’s Adessia™ commuter rail portfolio, will feature two-by-two seating, laptop tables, extra-wide windows, power outlets and USB charging ports, overhead luggage racks, and areas for wheelchairs, strollers, and bikes. They are slated to start arriving for testing in late 2026 and to enter service in early 2027, sporting the orange, white, and black design of CTrail, the brand designating state-run rail service in Connecticut.
Alstom and CTDOT on Nov. 24 reported that the wooden mockup now on display consists of the interior of one half of a car with seats, finishes and a wheelchair-accessible lavatory. They are seeking feedback from visitors, who may tour the prototype Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., until Jan. 6, 2026.
“We’re thrilled to give Connecticut riders a hands-on preview of our future railcars,” CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. “This prototype makes clear our commitment to rail travel that’s modern and accessible, designed around today’s riders and their need for comfort, ADA access, and thoughtful amenities.”
“We are proud to share the work of our expert engineers and designers and give Connecticut rail riders a glimpse of their future,” commented Scott Sherin, Chief U.S. Commercial Officer for Alstom. “These new passenger coaches will provide many years of fast and reliable service, reduce traffic congestion along highways, and help the state achieve its 2030 emissions targets.”
Alstom reported that its Adessia portfolio offers a wide range of single- and bilevel cars, which can be fashioned either as push-pull coaches that operate with locomotives or self-propelled vehicles equipped with electric engines.
Separately, the first five of Amtrak’s Alstom-built higher-speed trainset, the “NextGen Acela,” began operating on the Washington, D.C.-New York City-Boston Northeast Corridor this summer. In addition to supplying this equipment, Alstom has delivered new or renovated vehicles for domestic rail agencies in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, and New Jersey.
