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Danbury Branch
A train at the station in Danbury, Connecticut
Overview
Status	Operating
Owner	Connecticut DOT
Locale	Norwalk, CT to Danbury, CT
Termini	Grand Central (weekday service) Stamford (weekday service) South Norwalk Danbury
Stations	7
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Metro-North Railroad
Operator(s)	Metro-North (passenger 1983–present) PW (freight 1993 – present) Housatonic (freight 1983–present)
Rolling stock	GE Genesis P32AC-DM Brookville BL20GH EMD GP40-3H Shoreliner coaches
Technical
Line length	23.9 mi (38.46 km)
Character	Commuter rail / Branch line
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	None (electrified 1925-1961)
Route map Danbury Branch highlighted in red (full weekday route) Show interactive map Legend Housatonic Railroad to Pittsfield New Milford (proposed) Housatonic River Brookfield (proposed) Housatonic Railroad to Derby Junction North Danbury (proposed) Still River Danbury Yard & Railway Museum Beacon Line to Southeast 64.9 mi 104.4 km Danbury Still River 62.2 mi 100.1 km Bethel 58.5 mi 94.1 km Redding Saugatuck River 54.0 mi 86.9 km Branchville Zone 42 Zone 41 Georgetown (proposed) 50.2 mi 80.8 km Cannondale 48.5 mi 78.1 km Wilton Kent Road (closed) 45.0 mi 72.4 km Merritt 7 Norwalk River Wall Street (proposed) end of electrification New Haven to New Haven Zone 41 Zone 17 Danbury Branch Dockyard & Norwalk River 41.0 mi 66 km South Norwalk Zone 17 Zone 16 39.2 mi 63.1 km Rowayton 37.7 mi 60.7 km Darien 36.2 mi 58.3 km Noroton Heights 36.2 mi 58.3 km Stamford New Haven intermediate stops Zone 16 Zone 1 0.0 mi 0 km Grand Central This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram

The Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line in the U.S. state of Connecticut, running from downtown Norwalk north to Danbury. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Until the early 1970s, passenger service continued north from Danbury to Canaan, Connecticut, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Metro-North took over operation of the line from Conrail in 1983, and the modern-day branch is mostly single-tracked.

History

The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad began operating its line from Norwalk north to Danbury on February 22, 1852. In July 1872 a branch from the mainline at Bethel northeast to Hawleyville opened. At Hawleyville, the branch connected to the Housatonic Railroad, continuing north into Massachusetts. Also at Hawleyville, connections with the Shepaug Railroad to Litchfield were possible.

Starting on May 1, 1874, that connection was supplemented by the New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad, running from Danbury northeast to the Housatonic. In 1881 the New York and New England Railroad was completed, giving another connection at Danbury and at Hawleyville. A short branch from Branchville on the mainline west to Ridgefield opened July 1, 1870. In July 1882 an extension was built in Norwalk to docks at Wilson Point. The Housatonic Railroad leased the D&N on July 21, 1887; and soon after, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased the Housatonic.

Long-distance passenger service operated on the line. The Berkshire ran on the line from Grand Central to Danbury, to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Many railroad bridges along the Danbury Branch were damaged or destroyed in the 1955 Norwalk river flood. The NYNH&H merged into Penn Central in 1969. On January 1, 1971, the State of Connecticut leased the Danbury Branch from Penn Central. The last passenger train from Danbury north to Pittsfield, Massachusetts ran in April 1971, the day before Amtrak assumed passenger operations. From 1976 until 1983, freight and passenger service on the line was provided by the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) under a contract with Connecticut. In 1983 the newly formed Metro-North Commuter Railroad took over operation of passenger service along the line. Conrail continued to provide freight service on the line until 1993. The Providence and Worcester Railroad now provides freight service along the Danbury Branch.

Upon renovation of the Merritt 7 station, Metro-North ceased stops at Kent Road on January 16, 1994, and instead provided service via shuttle bus to Merritt 7 for local employers. By the time of its closing, fewer than 15 passengers used the station daily.

Electrification

The Danbury Line operated electric-powered trains beginning in 1925. The catenary system on the Danbury Line was removed in 1961 when diesel-powered locomotives resumed service on the line. Steel posts that once carried the overhead catenary system can still be seen along the line. As of 2022, the Connecticut Department of Transportation was studying the feasibility of installing catenary wire on the Danbury Branch.

Railway museums

The Switchtower Museum in South Norwalk describes to visitors how railroad employees would switch the tracks for trains continuing on the Danbury branch line, then switch them back for trains travelling along the New Haven main line.

The Danbury Railway Museum is located in the former Union Station of the D&N and NY&NE in Danbury. It lies just north of the current Danbury Metro-North station. At the museum are examples of rolling stock retired from service as well as an indoor display of model trains.

Plans

There have been proposals to re-electrify the Danbury Branch, along with a plan to extend service north from Danbury to New Milford.

In connection with the planned redevelopment of the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill as a residential neighborhood, reopening a Georgetown station between the Cannondale and Branchville stations has been approved, though not yet scheduled or funded. The previous station was abandoned in the 1970s due to low ridership.

Over $60 million was allocated to the Danbury Branch, approximately half from the economic stimulus package of 2009, to improve current stations, build siding tracks, and install a new signal system. Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell held a press conference with local politicians at the Cannondale station on July 28, 2009, to announce that construction was scheduled to start in late 2009 and finish in 2011. The new signal system finally began operation in 2013, but extensive work was still ongoing in 2014 because of unresolved problems with the drop gates at grade crossings.

In fall 2012, the focus of the plan was only on improving the corridor as far as Danbury, with no extension.

In May 2015, Governor Dannel Malloy's five-year plan for transportation improvements called "Let's Go CT" only mentioned one point for the Danbury Branch. This is a new small rail yard called the Danbury Line Dock Yard Improvements. This area in South Norwalk will include electrification of the southern end of the branch. This was to enable work to commence on the Walk Bridge. However, at the same time a 30-year plan was published that does envision electrification of the Danbury Branch, extending service to New Milford and electrifying that extension. Electrification of the portion to Danbury would cost $400 million; the extension to New Milford would cost $450 million, and the electrification of the extension would cost $540 million.

On February 1, 2017, the Connecticut State Bond Commission authorized $21 million in borrowing for upgrades at the Merritt 7 station as well as for the addition of a station on the New Haven Line. The Merritt 7 station would have a footbridge added, a raised platform, and an expanded shelter.

Plans to reopen the long-closed Wall Street station are under consideration in wake of new housing developments in Norwalk Center.

Stations

West of South Norwalk, the New Haven Line continues southwest to Grand Central Terminal and northeast to Union Station in New Haven.

All trains stop at all seven stations on the branch. The trip from Danbury to South Norwalk currently (2018) takes about 54 minutes. All peak trains and some off-peak run from Danbury to Stamford on weekdays, and limited service runs from Danbury to Grand Central Terminal as well. Limited through service from Danbury to Grand Central takes about 2 hours. Two weekday trains serve the intermediate stations (Rowayton, Darien, and Noroton Heights) in peak direction.

The following services that connect to the Danbury Branch are Amtrak, Metro-North Railroad, Norwalk Transit District, and HARTransit.

Zone	Location	Station	Miles (km) from GCT	Date opened	Date closed	Connections / notes
17	Norwalk	South Norwalk	41.0 (66.0)			Metro-North Railroad: New Haven Line Norwalk Transit District: 10, 11, 12, Evening Shuttle, Sunday Shuttle, Norwalk Commuter Shuttle
41
		Wall Street		1860	1956	Station house was at 47 Wall St. Norwalk, CT right over the tracks.
		Merritt 7	45.0 (72.4)	1985		Norwalk Transit: Route 7 Link, Norwalk Commuter Connection
	Wilton
		Kent Road		January 12, 1976	January 16, 1994
		Wilton	48.5 (78.1)	1852		Norwalk Transit: Route 7 Link
		Cannondale	50.2 (80.8)	1852		Norwalk Transit: Route 7 Link
		Georgetown			1970s
42	Ridgefield	Branchville	54.0 (86.9)	1852		Norwalk Transit: Route 7 Link
	Redding	Sanford		1852	1938
		Redding	58.7 (94.5)	1852		Norwalk Transit: Route 7 Link
	Bethel	Bethel	62.2 (100.1)	1852		Housatonic Area Regional Transit: 5
	Danbury	Danbury	64.9 (104.4)	1852		Housatonic Area Regional Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Route 7 Link, Danbury–Brewster Shuttle, Newton Road Loop

Rolling stock

Unlike the New Haven main line or the New Canaan Branch, the Danbury Branch is not electrified, and uses diesel locomotives in push-pull operation. Usually, the diesels push trains toward Grand Central Terminal, and pull toward Danbury. All of the passenger cars used are Shoreliner series cars, powered by GE P32AC-DM Genesis, Brookville BL20GH, or EMD GP40-3H locomotives.

In August 2023, CTDOT approved a contract with Alstom for 60 single-level passenger cars. The cars will replace the existing Shoreliner coach fleet on the Waterbury Branch and the Danbury Branch, as well as Mafersa coaches on the Hartford Line. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026.

See also

• Connecticut Commuter Rail Council

References

1. ^ Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England, A Handbook of Railroad History. Branch Line Press. ISBN 0-942147-02-2.
2. ^ Blakeslee, Philip C. (1953). A Brief History Lines West of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co. Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
3. Norwalk, River. "The 1955 flood". norwalkriver.org. NRWA. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
4. "PRR Chronology 1971" (PDF). The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. June 2005. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
5. "Trains Will End Stops at Kent Road Sunday". The Wilton Bulletin. January 12, 1994. Retrieved April 29, 2014 – via Google News.
6. "Danbury Branch Rail Line History". Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
7. "DANBURY BRANCH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM TASKS: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: STATE PROJECT 302-008" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation and Washington Group International. October 22, 2010. p. 10-4. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023. Other major railroad developments included the electrification of the New Haven line and many of its branches, including the Norwalk / Danbury branch, although the line extending from Danbury to New Milford was never electrified. The electrification of the New Haven contributed to its history of financial difficulties, and the company was nearly insolvent or bankrupt, consolidated, and reorganized several times. The southern Danbury branch was de-electrified in 1961, and by 1969 the New Haven was consolidated with the Penn Central system.
8. Danbury Branch Improvement Program Task 7 | Existing Conditions – Rail Infrastructure Draft Final Report (PDF) (Report). Connecticut Department of Transportation. April 2009. pp. 38–40. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
9. Brone, Abigail (May 24, 2022). "CT's Shore Line East shifts to all-electric trains; 'It's faster, it's a lot more comfortable'". CT Insider. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
10. "SoNo Switch Tower Museum". Visit CT. June 8, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
11. ^ "Danbury Branch Electrification Feasibility Study". Connecticut Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
12. Prevost, Lisa (January 30, 2005). "A Mill Town Writes Its Next Chapter". The New York Times. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
13. "State Approves $2 Million Bond For Redding Mill Redevelopment". The Weston Daily Voice. February 3, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
14. O'Connor, Kara (July 29, 2009). "Rell unveils $30M Danbury rail project". The Hour. Vol. 138, no. 210. p. A1. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
15. "Update on the Danbury Branch Grade Crossings". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 26, 2014. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
16. "Metro-North's New Spring Schedule Enhances Reliability". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 28, 2014. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
17. "Connecticut's 5 Year Transportation Ramp-Up Plan FEBRUARY 2015" (PDF). The Connecticut Department of Transportation. February 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
18. Koch, Robert (August 15, 2015). "Connecticut Department of Transportation prepares to rebuild Metro-North 'Dock Yard'". The Hour. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
19. "Connecticut's Bold Vision for a Transportation Future" (PDF). The Connecticut Department of Transportation. February 2015. p. 60. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
20. Soule, Alexander (February 1, 2017). "Connecticut OKs funds for Norwalk, Orange stations". The Hour. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
21. Koch, Robert (April 27, 2018). "DOT considering Wall Street train stop in Norwalk". The Hour. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
22. "Amtrak System Timetable - Updated June 2018" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2018.
23. "New Haven Line Monday-Friday Schedule" (PDF). Metro-North Railroad. September 30, 2018.
24. ^ "Norwalk, CT". Norwalk Transit District. September 1, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
25. "System Map". HARTransit. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
26. Koch, Robert (September 19, 2016). "A brief history of the train station that once served Wall Street". The Hour. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
27. Charles, Eleanor (July 28, 1985). "RAIL STATION FOR CORPORATE PARK". The New York Times.
28. "Alstom to supply 60 single-level coach cars to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for its statewide rail system" (Press release). Alstom. August 9, 2023.
29. "Governor Lamont Announces Purchase of 60 New Rail Cars to Modernize Commuter Rail Lines" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. August 9, 2023.

External links

• Danbury Branch Electrification Feasibility Study (2003–2016)

v t e Metro-North Railroad
East of Hudson	Harlem Line      Hudson Line      New Haven Line Danbury Branch New Canaan Branch Waterbury Branch
West of Hudson (operated by NJ Transit)	Pascack Valley Line      Port Jervis Line
Non-revenue and Predecessor lines	Beacon Line Putnam Line
Other	Stations (accessibility) Rolling stock Highbridge Facility Hudson Rail Link Park Avenue main line Penn Station Access MTA Arts & Design

v t e Public transportation in Connecticut
Bus services	CT Transit Divisions Hartford New Haven Stamford Waterbury, Meriden, and Wallingford New Britain and Bristol Operators Collins Bus Service Dattco HNS Management New Britain Transportation North East Transportation Peter Pan Arrow Line Acquisition, LLC Bonanza Acquisition, LLC Services CT Fastrak dash Other bus agencies Bridgeport Enfield River Valley Housatonic Milford Northeast CT Northwest CT Norwalk Southeast Windham Former bus and streetcar agencies 1900-1950 Danbury and Bethel Street Railway Mastco New York and Stamford Railway Shore Line Electric Railway Groton and Stonington Street Railway New London and East Lyme Street Railway Norwich and Westerly Railway Waterbury and Milldale Tramway 1950-2000 Bridgeport Traction Connecticut Company Danbury Bus Comapany Intercity Coach NECTAR New England Transportation Company White Lines Since 2000 Arrow Line Bonanza Dattco Kelley Transit Middletown Area Transit
Rail services	Metro-North New Haven Line New Canaan Branch Danbury Branch Waterbury Branch Amtrak Acela Amtrak Hartford Line Northeast Regional Valley Flyer Vermonter CT Rail Hartford Line Shore Line East Proposed Central Corridor Rail Line
Other	Connecticut Public Transportation Council Connecticut Department of Transportation New Haven–Springfield Line Northeast Corridor

• Metro-North Railroad
• New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad lines
• Rail infrastructure in Connecticut
• Passenger rail transportation in Connecticut
• Danbury, Connecticut
• Norwalk, Connecticut
• Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut
• Railway lines opened in 1852