Flatbush Avenue is a bus rapid transit station on the

CTfastrak CTfastrak (constructed as the New Britain-Hartford Busway) is a regional bus rapid transit system currently operating between downtown Hartford and Downtown New Britain station in New Britain in central Connecticut. Operated by Connecticut Tran ...

line, located near the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and New Park Avenue in

West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially ...

. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of one

island platform An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on ...

to the side of the busway, with passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station. A

CTrail CT Rail, stylized as CT''rail'', is the brand for commuter rail services overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), in the U.S. state of Connecticut, with some service extending into Massachusetts. CTDOT oversees two lines: ...

Hartford Line The Hartford Line is a commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, using the Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line. The project is a joint venture between the states of Connecticut and Massachuset ...

commuter rail platform is planned to open in 2022 under the name West Hartford.

Railroad history

The

New York and New England Railroad The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was ...

(and predecessor

Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was ...

) operated a station named Charter Oak Park at Oakwood Street slightly to the south, serving the

Charter Oak Park Charter Oak Park was an American harness racing track in Hartford, Connecticut that was open from 1874 to 1893, when an anti-gambling bill resulted in its closure. It reopened in 1897 and remained in operation until 1931. Early years Charter Oak P ...

racing track and the Luna Park recreation area. It opened with the track in 1874, was rebuilt in 1900, and likely closed with the racetrack in 1940. The

New Haven Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...

had an adjacent Oakwood station on its parallel Springfield Line; it opened in 1874 and was closed in the late 1890s after the New Haven's purchase of the NY&NE rendered it redundant.

Future plans

The

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

service between

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

and Springfield, Massachusetts via Hartford commenced on June 16, 2018. It initially connects to CTfastrak at Union Station. Hartford Line stations adjacent to the CTfastrak stops at West Hartford (Flatbush Avenue) and are planned to open later. The 2012 environmental assessment for the Hartford Line included preliminary plans for four infill stations including West Hartford and Newington Junction; although they were not yet funded, this would allow future planning and construction to be expedited. On January 12, 2015, the state announced that $5.75 million in funding would be made available for environmental mitigation and design at ten Hartford Line and

New Haven Line The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven ...

stations, including design funding for Hartford Line platforms at West Hartford and Newington Junction. In February 2017, the state announced an additional $50 million in funds, including money to complete design of West Hartford station. Design will be completed by 2020. The state aims to construct all infill stations on the line by 2022.

References

External links

{{Hartford Line stations navbox CTfastrak Transport infrastructure completed in 2015 2015 establishments in Connecticut Buildings and structures in West Hartford, Connecticut Bus stations in Hartford County, Connecticut Proposed stations on the New Haven–Springfield Line