Trains, costs on Willis’ agenda for new session

State Rep. Roberta Willis (D-64) has introduced a bill that would bring back passenger rail service to the Northwest Corner.

The bill, HB 6343: “An Act Concerning the Restoration of the Housatonic Railroad Line,” is one paragraph:

“To protect the continuing operation of freight service to the northwest region’s five major industries and employers, to protect environmentally sensitive areas that this railroad runs through by improving the infrastructure to prevent derailments, and to operate a passenger rail service from New York City up through our region to support the regional economy.”

Willis said in a phone interview Monday, Jan. 26 that Governor Dannel P. Malloy has stated that transportation will be a major priority of his second term.

“My concern is that he is developing a 30-year master plan. We want to ensure the railroad is part of that.”

Willis said there are several issues that need to be addressed — track improvements to prevent derailments, for starters, and coordination with Massachusetts to eventually bring about passenger service from Pittsfield, Mass. to New York City.

Willis said this is a long-range project, but with the deadline for filing bills looming, and the governor’s emphasis on transportation, she went ahead and put her bill in last week.

“I really felt the train was leaving the station, so to speak. We’d better be in there, or we’ll miss out.”

Willis has also filed a bill to designate the section of the Housatonic River from the Massachusetts line to New Milford as a Wild and Scenic River.

She said the bill is “premature,” in part because the towns in question have not all voted on the matter.

But like the railroad bill, Willis said she felt it important to get her bill filed “to ensure there is a vehicle as we move forward.”

Willis is supporting a legislative proposal that would put a cap of $10 on the residential fixed charge paid to Connecticut Light and Power (which will change its name on Feb. 2 to Eversource Energy) by residential electric customers.

Last year, CL&P asked for an increase of $25.50 per month. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) recently approved a $19.25 increase.

The $10 cap represents a rollback to a 2007 fixed rate, Willis said.

She said the $19.25 increase is too high, does not encourage energy conservation and sets a bad precedent. 

“They can just keep raising it,” she said.