New Haven Independent

Governor Rell Announces $100 Million for New Haven Rail Yard Construction

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that $100 million in state funding for the New Haven Rail Yard complex, which will service the fleet of new Metro-North commuter rail cars scheduled to start arriving in the state next year, is expected to gain approval when the state Bond Commission meets October 30.

Last week, Governor Rell announced that bids for one major element of the Rail Yard Complex - the 293,000-square-foot “change-out” shop where trains will be maintained - came in substantially lower than originally expected, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. The low bid of about $124.8 million from O&G Industries of Torrington is less than half of the estimated $291.5 million calculated by Hill International, a firm hired in 2008 to review rail yard project.

Other elements upcoming in the project include a Diesel Storage Yard and a facility for keeping railcar wheels “trued” - ensuring they have the proper shape to stay on the rails.

“The first pair of the new M-8 rail car is being shipped to the state from the builder next week - and as the new cars begin arriving in earnest next year we will need a solid facility where they can be maintained,” Governor Rell said. “These new cars, together with the maintenance facilities, are the centerpiece of the unprecedented transportation initiative I proposed in 2005. To keep to our timetable, it is critical that we move forward with work on the ‘change-out’ shop as soon as possible. Doing so will also have the added - and always-welcome - benefit of creating new jobs.

“Keeping this project ‘on budget’ is every bit as important as keeping it on time,” the Governor said. “I am pleased that the bids for the ‘change-out’ shop were much lower than expected. Our goal remains a comprehensive, affordable project that will protect our investment in these new cars.”

The state has ordered a total of 300 new rail cars from Japan-based Kawasaki. The first pair will ship on a freighter on October 28. Over the next four months, three additional pairs will be shipped to Connecticut, where they will undergo a series of rigorous quality-assurance tests before being put into regular service on the Metro-North Line between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal in New York.

The bid for the Component Change-Out Facility is now being reviewed by DOT engineers and the contract is expected to be formally awarded in the next several weeks. DOT Commissioner Joseph F. Marie said construction will start this winter and should be completed in late 2012. He estimated that as many as 100 jobs will be created or maintained as a direct result of this project.

This facility will consist of a maintenance shop with 13 car spots on three tracks with overhead cranes and floor lifts, support shops to repair and maintain the major car components, parts storage facilities, offices and training facilities, a security suite with command center and MTA police offices, DOT offices and a communications hub.