Damage to Metro-North’s Waterbury Branch near Seymour on Thursday, Aug 22, 2024 after heavy rains on Sunday caused a washout of right-of-way adjacent to the Naugatuck River.
Train service on the Metro-North Waterbury Branch Line has been suspended since historic flooding in August and it will resume on Monday, Oct. 28 with the 4:45 a.m. train from Waterbury and the 7 a.m. train from Bridgeport, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Buses will continue operating in place of trains on the adjusted schedule until regular train service resumes on Oct. 28.
The state Department of Transportation, Metro-North crews and O&G Industries have been working to repair the rail line after heavy rain on Aug. 18 led to washouts near Beacon Falls and Seymour.
The state Department of Transportation said crews had to build temporary access roads near the Kinneytown Dam in Seymour so equipment and materials could reach the washed-out areas.
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“The damage sustained along the Waterbury Branch Line was devastating and access to these areas was incredibly difficult. It’s remarkable what crews and contractors have been able to accomplish in two months to get trains running again ahead of our initial timeline,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said in a statement.
Before service resumes, test trains will be running along the Waterbury Branch Line between Waterbury and Bridgeport to test and inspect the railroad crossings and tracks over the entire rail line, according to the Department of Transportation.
