MTA Metro-North Railroad opened the first new station on the New Haven Line since 2011 on Aug. 19 in West Haven, CT. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Connecticut DOT (ConnDOT) Deputy Commissioner Anna M. Barry, and other state, railroad, and local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the new commuter rail station.

Metro-North operates the New Haven Line under contract to ConnDOT.

The West Haven Station is located midway between the Milford and New Haven stations. In the past, local residents who wanted to ride Metro-North had to travel to one of those stations, or further west on the New Haven Line, to access commuter rail service.

“This new station fills in a nine-mile gap between the New Haven and Milford stations, making it very attractive to area residents as well as people coming from far away in search of parking,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “This gorgeous, spacious, contemporary station makes Metro-North a tempting alternative to driving on already clogged I-95, and we expect more and more people will make the switch.”

The governor said: “The New Haven Line is vital to facilitating commerce and ensuring residents have a real alternative to driving to work every day. We want to continue making smart, targeted investments to encourage even more residents to take the train while also easing gridlock on our already congested highways and reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption associated with single-occupant vehicle trips.”

The $103 million West Haven Station includes two 1,100-foot platforms that can accommodate 12-car trains, an Americans with Disabilities-compliant station building with restrooms, self-pay parking and ticket machines, bicycle, racks and 650 new parking spaces. The project also included upgrades to a five-mile section of the New Haven Line track, overhead catenary power lines, and signals.

Speakers at the opening of Metro-North's West Haven Station, from left: West Haven resident and station supporter Mike Mercuriano, Metro-North President Howard Permut, MTA Chairman & CEO Tom Prendergast, West Haven Mayor John Picard, Connecticut Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, state Rep. Lou Esposito, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state Rep. Steve Dargan, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, state Representative Paul Davis, and ConnDOT Deputy Commissioner Anna Barry.