By Ken Valenti

NEWINGTON–The cost of a train ride to and from Westport would rise twice over the next year under a Connecticut Department of Transportation proposal to increase ticket prices 5% in September and another 5% in July, 2026.

A year from now, under the proposal, Westport travelers to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan would pay $39.25 more for a monthly pass and $2 more for a peak one-way ticket. The percentage changes vary by station and ticket type because CTDOT rounds off the fares to the nearest 25-cent increment.

Rides cost the same from the Saugatuck and Green’s Farms stations in Westport.

Rising costs

“Fares are a critical source of revenue to the department and its service provider’s ability to operate a safe and reliable transportation system while maintaining current service levels and supporting rising costs,” CTDOT supervising planner Dan Baker said on Tuesday in a virtual hearing on the proposal.

The increases would cover the Shoreline East and Hartford lines as well as other Metro-North Railroad fares.

Westport commuter Alan Clement said the proposed increases are frustrating, but that driving into Manhattan would be even more costly.

“They kind of have you over a barrel. You have to get into the city,” said Clement, a lawyer who commutes to Grand Central Terminal three times a week. “I’m obviously not happy to pay that.”

Fares are a fraction of the cost

Baker said a passenger’s fare covers about 30% of the cost of the ride. The rest is covered by subsidies and other sources.

Under the proposal, a monthly pass from either Westport station to Grand Central Terminal would rise from $366.25 to $386 on Sept. 1 and to $405.50 next July. A peak one-way ride would increase by one dollar each increase, from $18.75 now to $20.75 next July.

A monthly pass for travel between Westport’s stations and Stamford would increase from $64 now to $69.25 in September and $74.50 next July. A one-way ticket to or from Stamford, peak and off-peak, would increase by 25 cents each time from $3 now to $3.50 in a year.

Public comment period closes Sunday

CTDOT will continue to accept public comments on the increases until Sunday. Once the public comment period closes, Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto will consider the input while making a decision on the fares. 

Fares last increased in 2023, when they rose about 4.5%. Before that, they had remained unchanged since 2018.