Christopher Mattei, right, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, talks with Democrat Tarek Raslan at the Ansonia train station March 20.
Not much was going on at the Ansonia train station Tuesday afternoon.
Truth be told, not much is ever going on at the Ansonia train station. It’s the definition of “underused.”
But that’s precisely why a Democrat running to be the state’s next attorney general said he chose it as a campaign stop.
Democrat Christopher Mattei, a former federal prosecutor, wants to replace George Jepsen, the state’s current attorney general, who announced last year he wouldn’t seek a third term in office.
More frequent service will spur economic development in the Valley, Mattei said.
“You have to have infrastructure to attract development and then you’re going to have more ridership the more people want to come in and use it,” he said.
The attorney general isn’t necessarily in the economic development arena. The attorney general represents the state’s legal interests — but the position also plays an important role in protecting consumers.
A lack of adequate train service, the theory goes, has prevented economic growth in downtown Ansonia and Derby.
So what specifically could he do if successful in his run for attorney general to make things better?
He said the goal of more frequent service is primarily one of funding.
A good attorney general could also do important work on the issue and advocate for the consumers.
For one, Mattei said, do a better job of getting all the different government agencies involved to work together.
“Part of what the attorney general’s office can do is help sort out relationships between municipalities, DOT, and then regional relationships,” he said.
Another possibility he pointed out — helping Connecticut get representation on the board overseeing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Connecticut has no representation on the board, which oversees commuter rail service in Fairfield and New Haven counties and an annual budget in the billions of dollars.
“Part of that’s a function of diplomacy and relationships with other states and part of it is a legal matter,” Mattei said. “Certainly working to get Connecticut representation on (the MTA board) has legal ramifications that the attorney general can be helpful on.”
On Tuesday he rolled up to Ansonia’s train station a few minutes after the 12:17 from Waterbury had deposited and picked up a half-dozen travelers on its slow chug south toward Bridgeport.
It’s one of eight trips daily bringing people from the lower Naugatuck Valley to the New Haven Line.
By contrast, the New Canaan Branch has 20.
The Ansonia station March 20.
Ansonia’s last Democratic nominee for mayor, Tarek Raslan, was one of two people at the train station waiting to greet Mattei at Tuesday’s appearance.
He suggested if the Waterbury Line continues to be underutilized the state could explore converting it to a rapid bus system like the CTfastrak, which operates between New Britain and Hartford.
Mattei thinks train service is still the best bet.
“Rail continues to be and should be where we invest our transportation dollars,” he said, pointing increased economic activity in areas near the Hartford Line, scheduled to bring new trains between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, Mass. beginning in May.
Mattei grew up in Windsor and currently lives in Hartford.
He said better rail service will also help working people who may not be able to afford a car — or face a severe fiscal crunch if their vehicle needs a major repair.
“We want people to be able to get to work, no matter what kind of job they’re getting to or from,” he said. “Train service is a way to make it easier for working people to have stable employment and stable income.”
