Connecticut is planning to raise fares on Metro-North Railroad and CT Rail transit throughout the state later this year in order to cover the increased cost of operating rail services.
Fares are slated to rise by 5% beginning Sept. 1, and another 5% on July 1, 2026. That means a rush-hour one-way trip between New Haven and Stamford on Metro-North, for example, would rise from $8.75 to $9.50 by July of next year. An off-peak one-way trip between Hartford and New Haven on CT Rail would rise from $8.25 to $8.75, and a one-way trip from Stamford to Grand Central Terminal on Metro-North during peak hours would rise from $16 to $17.75 by this time next year.
Officials with the state Department of Transportation said the fare increase was necessary to keep the trains running.
“The cost to operate the existing level of service has increased year over year,” said Dan Baker, a transportation supervising planner with the department during a public meeting in Stamford on fare increases. “So in order to maintain the current level of trains and rail service and account for rising costs, fares needed to increase to offset a funding gap.”
A train arrives at New Haven Union Station on June 25, 2025. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has proposed fare increases to all Metro-North and CT Rail services in the state.
DOT had requested $327 million from the state to cover the cost of rail services in fiscal year 2026, which began July 1, but the legislature’s budget only included $316 million. The increase in fares will make up for that gap, officials said.
Connecticut last increased fares in 2023 when the Hartford line, New Haven line and Shore Line East faced a 4.5% increase. Before that, fares had stayed the same since 2018.
Baker said even with the planned increases this year and next, inflation will still have surpassed rail fare increases. Since 2018, inflation has driven up consumer prices by approximately 28%, whereas by 2026 rail fares will have increased by 14% to 15%, according to DOT data.
Fares account for roughly half of Metro-North’s operating costs, but a far smaller slice — less than 10% — of the Hartford and Shore Line East rail lines’ operating costs. Most of the rest of the funding comes from the state.
Many lines faced service and funding cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridership has rebounded unevenly across lines since then.
Over that same period, the state has invested in new transportation and development projects, like the WALK rail bridge spanning the Norwalk River, and the Connecticut River bridge connecting Old Saybrook and Old Lyme.
Commuters’ concern
Some commuters expressed opposition to the state’s plan to raise fares, noting problems with the current service, including its delayed restoration after the COVID cutbacks, and general frustration about the rising cost of living throughout the state.
Susan Feaster, a frequent commuter on Shore Line East rail, said riders shouldn’t be on the hook for the state not fully funding rail transit. “Fare increases are never good, and doing a complete 10% by next year is a lot,” said Feaster, who also founded the Shore Line East Riders Advocacy Group in 2018.
Feaster said lawmakers boosted funding for child care and education in the coming biennium budget, which will enable many parents to work. “But you know, they should probably put some of that money into mass transit to help the people trying to get to work to pay those taxes, right?” she said.
Jim Gildea, chairman of the Connecticut Public Transportation Council, said, “While I recognize the necessity of increasing rail rates and the fact it’s been a while since the last increase, I have serious reservations about raising bus and transit fares.” (Currently, bus fares aren’t slated to increase, though the governor proposed bus fare hikes earlier this year.)
“These services are vital for many individuals facing economic challenges, and now may not be the right time to impose additional financial burdens on them,” he said.
DOT officials said they performed a service and fare equity analysis to assess the effects fare increases would have on low-income and minority customers. “We found that the proposed fare increases for 2025 and 2026 for Hartford line, Shoreline east and New Haven line do not have a disparate impact on minority customers, nor a disproportionate burden on low income customers, whether analyzed individually or in aggregate,” Baker said.
DOT held several public meetings to hear concerns from riders about the fare increases, but turnout was low. In Stamford last Monday, two residents attended. In New Haven last Tuesday, only one resident was there. And in Hartford last Thursday, only a small handful of residents were present.
Jon Bonci, a CT Rail passenger who attended the Hartford event, said he wasn’t confident his presence would change the state’s plans. “We’re gonna have to pay it, so what can you do? It doesn’t matter what we say in the public hearing,” he said.
Stamford resident Nicole Howerton expressed concern at the DOT’s public meeting at the Ferguson Public Library there.
“As a resident of Stamford and a sole [commuter] for my family, it plays a major role in being able to get around and enjoy the community,” Howerton said. “When we’re presenting an increase of some nature, we need to look at the schedule and see if and how that’s meeting the community.”
A frequent commuter through the Metro-North’s West Haven station, she added that when rail service is down she has to take Ubers, which is another additional cost.
Chris Irby, the only registered speaker at the New Haven public meeting, pointed to Bridgeport as an urban area that would be significantly affected by the fare hikes. As a Bridgeport resident and a frequent commuter, he said that Bridgeport residents already struggle to find money for the fares.
“Bridgeport is not a business city like New Haven is,” Irby said. “Everybody has to take the train to go to other towns, to go to work.”
Irby also called on DOT to do a better job of advertising the events, stating that he would like to see more of DOT’s presence and advertising in downtown New Haven.
The department held additional public hearings virtually on June 30 and July 1. Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto will consider public comments through July 6, via email to dot.proposedtransitchanges@ct.gov or by leaving a voicemail at (860) 594-3612. DOT will take all comments into consideration before finalizing the proposed fare changes, officials said.
Janhavi Munde is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org). CT Mirror photojournalist Dana Edwards contributed to this story. Copyright 2025 © The Connecticut Mirror.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Connecticut raising fares on Metro North, CT Rail transit