The time-1 project in its totality will be let for construction in three phases (contract a, contract b, and contract c)

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded the Department of Transportation Connecticut fifteen million dollars on October 1, 2025, to fund construction of approximately 141 catenary pole foundations as part of the first construction phase (Contract A) of the TIME-1 Project, a rail infrastructure upgrade program serving the Northeast Corridor between Bridgeport and Stratford, Connecticut. This block grant represents partial funding of Contract A; remaining scope elements are funded through a separate FY 2024 Federal-State Partnership Northeast Corridor Program grant.

The TIME-1 Project encompasses installation of approximately 88 new catenary structures along the entire project corridor, replacement of the Longbrook Avenue Bridge to increase vertical clearance, and interlocking upgrades including three new cross-overs at the CP-257 interlocking to enable access to the East Bridgeport train yard during track outages and one cross-over at the CP-261 interlocking east of the Devon moveable railroad bridge. These improvements support upgrading track from Federal Railroad Administration Class 4 to Class 6 standards, enabling maximum authorized speed increases from 70 miles per hour to up to 90 miles per hour where geometry permits and enhancing operational flexibility. The project reduces track outages and construction delays while improving public safety through increased vertical clearance to reduce vehicular bridge strikes.

Performance runs through January 31, 2031, in Connecticut.

This project funds only a portion of the first construction contract package (contract a) for the time-1 project. This project will fund the construction of approximately 141 catenary pole foundations. The remaining scope elements of contract a for the time-1 project will be funded by the fiscal year (FY) 2024 federal-state partnership northeast corridor program grant. The time-1 project in its totality includes the installation of approximately eighty-eight (88) new catenary structures for the entire project corridor between bridgeport and stratford, connecticut and replacement of the longbrook avenue bridge to increase vertical clearance and improve track speeds. To improve near-term and future operational flexibility, the time-1 project also includes upgrading the CP-257 interlocking with three (3) new cross-overs to allow access to the east bridgeport train yard during long-term track outages and one (1) cross-over within the CP-261 interlocking east of the devon moveable railroad bridge. These improvements align with the goal of increasing the track class from federal railroad administration (FRA) class 4 to class 6 standards to support increasing maximum authorized speed (MAS) from 70 miles per hour (MPH) to up to 90 MPH along the corridor where geometry allows and improving the flexibility of railroad operations. The project will expedite travel for intercity and commuter rail passengers and freight operations by enhancing track, station, bridge, and other critical infrastructure. These improvements will reduce track outages, cause fewer delays during construction periods, and improve operating flexibility and reliability. Public safety will also be improved through two main pathways: increasing the height of vertical clearance bridges will reduce vehicular bridge strikes and raising the track to a higher inspection and maintenance standard required of class 6 track will reduce the likelihood of infrastructure failure.