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Discussion relating to the operations of MTA MetroNorth Railroad including west of Hudson operations and discussion of CtDOT sponsored rail operations such as Shore Line East and the Springfield to New Haven Hartford Line

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 #1043558  by train2
 
Over the last few years, as time has allowed, I have ridden almost all of MN/Cdot. I am down to needing two short branches: the Danbury and Waterbury lines.

Here is my interest/questions: I live south of NYC so if I were to ride out of GCT it is a pricy sum for such short mileage. If I were to say wait until I am in CT what would be the best plan of attack to ride the two considering I have everything else including the main line to New Haven? In other words which line would make the most since to start on and ride say round trip down to the main and over to the other branch, up that line and then reverse to my starting point?

I don't suppose there is any public transit that would bridge the two end points of Danbury and Waterbury?

Does either station have better/cheaper parking that might influence the starting point?

And finally would this work better to just ride round trip on each branch and drive between the two end points?

T2
 #1043581  by TCurtin
 
Peter Pan Bus has several times a day service that will get you between Danbury & Waterbury (I do not know how convenient the bus stop at either place is to the railroad station), so you can probably go one direction on each route . They have a web site. One think to beware of is that either of these branches can get stuck with the horror of bus substitution on almost any day due to maintenance, which would ruin your whole day. The Danbury branch in particular is undergoing TCS signal installation.
 #1043586  by shadyjay
 
I did the trip a few years ago. Left New Haven to Bridgeport, roundtrip on Waterbury branch, mainline train to South Norwalk, roundtrip on Danbury branch, mainline train to Stamford, roundtrip on New Canaan Branch, then a mainline train back to New Haven. Purchasing all those tickets was fun, and I did a lot of studying the schedule beforehand to make sure it would all work out. And it did.
 #1043676  by SouthernRailway
 
I've been on the Danbury Branch a few times, and the Waterbury branch once.

The Danbury train station, I think, has free parking; the Danbury RR musem is literally a 2-minute or less walk from the Metro-North station.

Warning: in South Norwalk, signs are confusing. To transfer from a New Haven Line train to a Danbury train (except to Grand Central-bound New Haven Line train) requires crossing under a few tracks. The stairs are in the MIDDLE of the platform, not the end.
 #1043681  by DutchRailnut
 
Parking on Danbury branch other than Wilton and Cannondale and Merrit 7 is NOT free
 #1043710  by runningwithscalpels
 
DutchRailnut wrote:Parking on Danbury branch other than Wilton and Cannondale and Merrit 7 is NOT free
Riding a branch RT then driving to the next would probably be easiest - there definitely is no public transit between Danbury and Waterbury - but on a good day with no traffic on 84 it's a little over a half an hour between the two.

On that note - parking AT Waterbury is also highly UNrecommended. Maybe if you have someone to drop you off at Waterbury and then meet you at Danbury - or a really old, crappy car that a Dirty Water hooligan wouldn't touch. There is a Petsmart and Home Depot not far down the road from the Waterbury station. I personally would feel safer leaving a car there than at the station proper - whose parking lot is obscured from street view by a big, possibly abandoned building.

There's usually a cop car parked in the station lot - but I never actually see any cops there, I'm convinced it's for an illusion of safety. Also, when I was there waiting for the train to show up (pictured in my avatar), some cracked out girl came and literally POUNDED on my car window and DEMANDED I drive her to Bridgeport after she asked me when the next train showed up and the time was apparently not to her liking - I was tempted to tell her I'd do it for $50, which is about 10x the RT between Waterbury and Bridgeport, just to see her reaction, but she was tweaking out on something, scary, and would NOT go away until I told her I was going to call the cops. So, be forewarned of the characters you may be dealing with there.
 #1043760  by Noel Weaver
 
Riding Waterbury and parking will likely be a problem unless you ride out of say Derby where I believe the parking is both safe and free. Waterbury has daily bus service to and from Danbury but I don't think the bus goes to either railroad station at least at the present time. I would definately ride Waterbury north from Bridgeport and return because no train, no ride. I probably would do the same for Danbury. Check the MTA website for service disruptions and changes too. The bus that serves both Waterbury and Danbury is a through bus between New York and at least Hartford and I think some trips through to Boston, I checked on this a couple of years ago but not since. It used to be Bonanza but it might be Peter Pan now. I definately would not even think of parking a car at Waterbury either day or night. Good adventure, enjoy the rides. Do the New Canaan Branch too if you have not already done so.
Noel Weaver
 #1044130  by TCurtin
 
runningwithscalpels wrote:there definitely is no public transit between Danbury and Waterbury
I generally don't get argumentative on these forums but i have to recommend that you go to the Peter Bus web site at

http://secure4.gatewayticketing.com/Pet ... ternalID=1

... and you will see there is indeed bus service between Danbury & Waterbury (and the reverse). This is the former Bonanza New York-Danbury-Waterbury-Hartford route. Peter Pan bought Bonanza a while back
 #1044191  by Ridgefielder
 
The bus station in Danbury is downtown, only 3-4 blocks from the railroad station. The Peter Pan website lists their Waterbury stop as being at 188 Bank St.: have to admit, though, that I have no idea where that is in relation to Union Station-- or how safe the area between there and the station actually is.
 #1044259  by TCurtin
 
Ridgefielder wrote:The bus station in Danbury is downtown, only 3-4 blocks from the railroad station. The Peter Pan website lists their Waterbury stop as being at 188 Bank St.: have to admit, though, that I have no idea where that is in relation to Union Station-- or how safe the area between there and the station actually is.
According to mapquest.com (a highly useful and reliable source at times like this) 188 Bank St is at the corner of Grand St, in downtown. Looks like if you walk west on Grand about 4 blocks to Meadow you will be right at the station.
 #1044273  by runningwithscalpels
 
TCurtin wrote:
runningwithscalpels wrote:there definitely is no public transit between Danbury and Waterbury
I generally don't get argumentative on these forums
I know there's bus service between the two, I wouldn't define Peter Pan as public transit, that's all. Waterbury uses CT Transit for busses, Danbury has HART.
 #1044400  by Noel Weaver
 
runningwithscalpels wrote:
TCurtin wrote:
runningwithscalpels wrote:there definitely is no public transit between Danbury and Waterbury
I generally don't get argumentative on these forums
I wouldn't define Peter Pan as public transit, that's all. Waterbury uses CT Transit for busses, Danbury has HART.
Just like Connecticut Transit, Peter Pan provides highway bus transportation between various points and collects a fare to do so. What do you define Peter Pan as??????
Noel Weaver
 #1044514  by Ridgefielder
 
TCurtin wrote:
Ridgefielder wrote:The bus station in Danbury is downtown, only 3-4 blocks from the railroad station. The Peter Pan website lists their Waterbury stop as being at 188 Bank St.: have to admit, though, that I have no idea where that is in relation to Union Station-- or how safe the area between there and the station actually is.
According to mapquest.com (a highly useful and reliable source at times like this) 188 Bank St is at the corner of Grand St, in downtown. Looks like if you walk west on Grand about 4 blocks to Meadow you will be right at the station.
Here's the question for those who know Waterbury (my experience of the town is basically confined to driving through on I-84 or Route 8): do you *want* to be walking around that area?
 #1044588  by njtmnrrbuff
 
The area around the Waterbury Station isn't the best, but it's not the worst at the same time. As other's said, watch out with the type of car you drive. There are seedy people who often hang out near the train station. Remember that the service is very poor.