Schedule changes planned for Shore Line East

NEWINGTON, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut Department of Transportation is making changes to the Shore Line East commuter train schedule now that a bridge project in Madison has been completed early.

Starting Monday, buses will no longer be needed to accommodate the River Road rail bridge project and most train service will return to pre-construction schedule times.

James Redeker, the DOT commissioner, said the state worked closely with Amtrak to finish the bridge project three weeks earlier than originally planned. Construction has taken about two months.

DOT plans to republish Shore Line East rail schedules on July 2.

Those schedules will include additional service to and from New London on Friday July 6th, Saturday July 7th and Sunday July 8th for the OpSail 2012 tall ships festival. At least 24 ships are expected.