Electric Day. On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Amtrak, and Metro-North will see the results of decades of planning and initiate Shore Line East electric MU service using Kawasaki built M8s. When SLE began in 1990, there had been a nine year absence of service to “local” stations along the Shore Line. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , Penn Central and Amtrak had operated steam or diesel service to the stations between New Haven and Old Saybrook before low ridership and other factors led to its cessation. The line was electrified in stages in the 1990s, and the question persisted about if and when electric MUs would cover these runs. The return of local service to the Shore Line was thought to be temporary to reduce traffic on Interstate 95 during construction, but nearly 32 years after commencing on May 29, 1990, it is still operating.
