Turns out being called an “outhouse on wheels” wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Waterbury train line.
The description was uttered by a commuter from Naugatuck during a forum for Waterbury branch riders at the Derby train station in July 2014, and then repeated in local media reports about the forum.
The forum, organized by Connecticut Commuter Rail Council and the Valley Council of Governments, was an important first step in getting help for the struggling Waterbury branch, the train line that takes commuters from Waterbury to points south with local stops in Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia and Derby.
Derby resident and Commuter Rail Council Vice President Jim Gildea was a guest on the Sept. 28 episode of “Valley Navel Gazing” and he talked about the issues facing the Waterbury branch — and what’s being done to address them.
To listen to the complete discussion, click the play button below, then skip to the 33-minute mark.
Gildea has been a driving force behind raising awareness about the Waterbury branch and its importance to the Naugatuck Valley.
He keeps local riders in the loop on Twitter through the Waterbury Line.
The local train line has come a long way since the 1990s, when there was serious talk about abandoning the Waterbury branch.
Gildea said 2014 wasn’t a banner year, either. In May of that year, Metro North eliminated an express train to Stamford.
To add insult to injury, the Waterbury branch trains were constantly breaking down, forcing stranded commuters to wait for last-minute substitute buses instead of trains.
“I always refer to that as the dark days of the branch,” Gildea said. “We were being faced with almost 22 busing substitutions a month.”
The issues prompted Gildea and others to organize a group exclusively for Waterbury branch riders, and to reach out to politicians on the local, state and federal levels for help.
Gov. Dannel Malloy has pledged millions in improvements to the train line. In September, U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy rode the line as a show of support. Click the play button on the podcast above to learn more.
While the attention is great, Gildea acknowledges there is plenty of work to be done.
He breaks the Waterbury branch problems into two general categories: reliable service and run times.
“The first thing commuters want is just daily, reliable service where we aren’t being hit with busing substitutions, where the trains aren’t breaking down and we’re not waiting for hours for back-up buses,” Gildea said.
In order to attract more riders, the Waterbury branch “commuter-friendly” times in the evening. The current schedule is anything but …
“What really hurts folks is in the evening, you either have to catch a 3:37 (p.m.) out of Bridgeoprt up to the branch, or a 5:57 p.m. train,” Gildea said. “If you miss the 5:57 train, then you have to wait until 8:14 p.m.”
Improving train service in the Naugatuck Valley would help congestion on Route 8 and Interstate 95, Gildea said. In addition, it would make it easier to transport the labor force to the job centers in Fairfield County.
Locally, improved train service would help struggling revive struggling downtowns in places such as Ansonia and Derby.
“It would be such an economic boon, an advantage, for all those towns from Waterbury down who have train tracks running right through their downtowns, right through the heart of their communities,” Gildea said.
For more on the improvements to the Waterbury branch, check out this blog post.
