Connecticut will spend $24.8 million on interior and exterior upgrades at New Haven Union Station, a hub serving nearly four million passengers annually, with exterior and first-phase interior work due for completion by the end of 2027.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation and the city of New Haven announced the jointly advanced program through the Union Station Partnership. Exterior repairs to the station and its parking garage total $9.1 million, while interior improvements are anticipated to cost $15.7 million. The state is fully funding both packages.

"Union Station is where thousands of people begin and end their trips every day, and it should be a place that people are proud to walk into," CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. "These improvements will create a more vibrant station for passengers while opening the door to new businesses that can make the experience even better."

What work is underway now?

Exterior repairs already in progress include repointing brick and repairing concrete at the station and parking garage. Interior work will cover:

• Renovated restrooms and hallways
• New flooring and ceiling tiles
• LED lighting
• Upgraded utility connections
• Improvements to the main passenger areas, including the atrium and the space at the bottom of the escalators leading to the pedestrian tunnel

The renovated station will add new and improved retail and food service space, additional family restrooms and a wellness room. Plans call for a central atrium bar and café, a mezzanine-level bar and lounge, and expanded seating across the atrium and mezzanine. Renovated office and rail administration space, upgraded common areas, and modernized security and ticketing spaces round out the scope.

How will retail change?

The state and city have launched a process to identify new vendors for retail and food service spaces in the station. Interested operators can respond to a Request for Interest document; applications are due by Jan. 29, 2027.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker framed the station work as part of the city's growth strategy. "Great cities should have great public transit facilities, and we are about to deliver for New Haveners," Elicker said, citing more retail and dining options as a way to encourage rail ridership and transit-oriented development.

What is the timeline?

The schedule, as announced:

• Exterior and phase one interior work: completion by end of 2027
• Phase two interior work: second half of 2028
• Parking garage repairs: 2029

The announcement also disclosed a feasibility study examining which parts of the station's heating and cooling systems can connect to the Union Station Area Thermal Energy Network, a geothermal network the city is developing to supply the station and adjacent housing under development by Elm City Communities.

How does this fit the wider plan?

The $24.8 million program is separate from a proposed platform modernization project currently in design — a more than $400 million investment covering station platforms, platform canopy and the pedestrian tunnel, plus supporting rail infrastructure, power and station utilities, stairs and elevators. Construction on that project is expected to begin in 2029, pending funding and approvals.

"New Haven Union Station is an important link in Connecticut's transportation network, and we are focused on making it a world-class transit facility," Gov. Ned Lamont said. "We are modernizing this historic station to create a more welcoming and comfortable experience for riders and encourage more people to choose rail."

With vendor applications open through January 2027 and the platform project advancing through design, station improvements at New Haven will unfold in phases through the end of the decade.