Danbury Branch

Danbury Branch
File:WiltonCTCannondaleRRstaHouse09162007.JPG Cannondale station in Wilton, CT.
Overview
Owner	Connecticut DOT
Locale	Norwalk, CT to Danbury, CT
Termini	South Norwalk Danbury / New Milford {proposed)
Stations	8 (+4 proposed)
Service
Type	regional rail
System	Metro-North
Operator(s)	Metro-North (passenger 1983-present) PW (freight 1973-present) Housatonic (freight 1983-present)
Technical
Track length	34.5 km (23.9 miles)
Character	Commuter rail / Branch line
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map 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

Georgetown station, about 1919

Metro-North Railroad's Danbury Branch is a branch of their New Haven Line from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut north to Danbury. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, and was later connected to other lines at its north end.

The Cannondale Railroad Station, pictured at right, is one of the more scenic stations along the line.

Station stops

From north to south

proposed location for new stations at North Danbury, Brookfield, and New Milford

• Danbury current terminal
• Bethel
• Redding
• Branchville

proposed location for rebuilt Georgetown station

• Cannondale
• Wilton
• Merritt 7

splits from New Haven Line

• South Norwalk

Continues southwest to Grand Central Terminal northeast to New Haven on the New Haven Line

History

See also: Fairfield County Railroad

See also: Danbury and Norwalk Railroad

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 main line at Bethel northeast to Hawleyville opened. At Hawleyville, the branch connected to the Housatonic Railroad, continuing north into Massachusetts.

File:NorwalkCTFrontSonoSwitchtwrMuseum08122007.JPG

South Norwalk Switch Tower Museum

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 Hawleyville.

A short branch from Branchville on the main line 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 on July 1, 1892 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased the Housatonic.

Unlike the New Haven Line, trains that run on the Danbury Line are powered by diesel locomotives because the line is not electrified. The Danbury Line did operate electric-powered trains during the early part of the 20th Century, and steel posts that once carried the overhead catenary system can still be seen along the line. The catenary system on the Danbury Line was removed in 1961 when diesel-powered locomotives resumed service on the line.

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

Future plans

Plans are underway to reelectrify 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 and Bennet Company wire factory as a dense and walkable residential neighborhood, the reopening of the Georgetown station between the Cannondale and Branchville stations has been approved.

See also

• Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is the official state advocate for train commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.

External Links

• Railroad History Database
• Philip C. Blakeslee, A Brief History Lines West Of The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co. (1953)