Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • February 11, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 17 impacts of improved rail service, said 30-30-30 is an aspirational goal that he and his agency will take seriously. In addition, Lamont's economic policy transition team recommended advancing talks with border states about high-speed rail that connects New Haven to Boston, via Hartford, Storrs and Providence. "[Lamont] has asked us to look at not only how do we get to 30-30-30, but what can we do along the way that will improve the timeframes for commuters," he said In recent weeks, DOT has pushed for short- and long-term solutions to at least one nagging rail issue: over- crowding on CTrail's Hartford Line. Since the route between New Haven and Springfield, Mass., opened last summer, tension has mounted between Amtrak — which owns the track and runs trains along the route — and CTrail customers. Passengers with CTrail tickets or passes have com- plained that Amtrak officials have asked them to get off crowded, late- afternoon trains they run in order to make room for people who bought tick- ets in advance through Amtrak. That's despite an agreement with Amtrak that CTrail passengers would be treated equally to Amtrak ticket-holders. A week after Lamont's inauguration, Amtrak agreed to limit advanced ticket sales to cut down on ticket-holding Am- trak customers riding during peak hours, according to DOT. The more compre- hensive solution would be to add more train cars to the Hartford Line, Giulietti said. But the longtime railroad pro is tempering expectations for how fast that can happen, as the DOT also works to add cars to the Shoreline East line, which runs from New London to New Haven. "If you know anything about (the railroad) industry, the biggest problem we always have is that when we have to go and get more cars, it's not some- thing that's an off-the-shelf commodity that you can go and get," Giulietti said. "When you understand that purchasing cars is a cycle that takes you anywhere up to four years … you can appreciate that you have to start working on those plans well in advance." More capital spending on rail is planned in the form of new train sta- tions in North Haven, Newing- ton, West Hart- ford and Enfield, Giulietti said. However, Giulietti said he hadn't yet identi- fied a funding source for the new cars or stations. Transportation funding has been an issue that has plagued Con- necticut for years, delaying not only investment in rail but also basic upkeep of roads, highways and bridges. During the campaign, Lamont floated the idea of paying for repairs to Con- necticut's run-down highways by tolling tractor-trailers, but not passenger vehicles. Meanwhile, his transportation transition committee (of which Giulietti was a member) went further, recom- mending a more expansive tolling sys- tem that charges passenger vehicles. Despite all the prescriptions, Giulietti insists DOT hasn't taken a position. "This is going to take a decision that we go forward to the legislature with, and I see our role (as going) and clearly (laying) out how it can be done, what are the revenues that are going to be generated from it," Giulietti said. "Then [we] get our marching orders from the legislature and the governor." Truth-telling problem solver In addition to the challenges already facing a department with an exten- sive to-do list and a workforce that includes dozens who are eligible for retirement in three years, Giulietti said he'll have to contend with being known strictly as a "rail guy." The perception makes sense. Gi- ulietti started his career as a brake- man and assistant conductor for the Penn Central Railroad in 1971. Since then, he worked management and leadership stints at systems like Metro-North and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. But there was a lot more to those jobs than keeping the trains running on time, he said. "You spend 40 years in the industry and people turn around and say, 'he's the rail guy,' " Giulietti said. "But I'm the rail guy that's also had to run buses, had to run ferry services, had to deal with appropriations in Washington." And part of the reason Giulietti sees himself as the right person for the job is because his experience, and being in the twilight of his career, enables him to be a truth-telling problem solver. "I'm at that point now that people will accept the fact that I've got enough gray hair to go and … [know] what it's like to deal with a lot of complex issues at the same time," he said. One goal for the Department of Transportation is to add more rail cars to the popular CTrail line. 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