Darien's $32M heated platforms struggle in winter storms

Connecticut’s ambitious experiment with electrically-heated train platforms got its first real test during last week’s winter storms — and the results highlight both the promise and problems of the state’s most expensive station upgrade.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s $32 million rebuild of Darien station includes the state’s first heated platforms, designed to melt snow and ice without salt or shoveling. But only half the project works, and what does work had mixed results during its winter debut.

The completed platform performed during the recent ice and snow. But passengers heading in the other direction remain stuck with a traditional platform that still needs the archaeological dig treatment common at unheated stops across Connecticut.

The delay stems from ongoing bureaucratic issues between agencies working to complete the project.

Meanwhile, commuters continue paying some of the nation’s highest electric rates to fund a heating system that may cost more than the salt and shovels it replaces.

The Darien project, awarded in 2023, was supposed to finish by mid-2024. Instead, it immediately hit the usual Connecticut infrastructure obstacles: unmapped underground utilities, unexpected infrastructure problems, and a bankrupt steel vendor. The completion date slipped and costs jumped by another $6 million.

The full contract includes more than heated platforms — new elevators, ADA-compliant ramps, better lighting, improved announcement systems, information displays, and electric vehicle charging stations. But those elevators still aren’t running, and only half the platforms are complete.

The timing stings for rail commuters who endured another week of Amtrak’s predictable storm response: just enough service to claim success, just enough cancellations to remind riders who’s in charge. A week after the storms, Amtrak was still struggling to restore full service.

Connecticut’s rail operators performed better. Metro-North kept trains running at reduced levels while other states’ systems shut down preemptively. The Connecticut Department of Transportation deployed 900 drivers and 650 trucks to pre-treat 10,000 lane miles of highways with salt brine before the snow arrived.

But the contrast between state highway maintenance and local road clearing remains stark. Towns that required residents to move cars before the storm have clear streets. Communities where cars stayed parked at curbs face days of digging out frozen vehicles from icy berms left by plows.

Bus stops across the state remain buried, and many local train stations still lack the basic courtesy of cleared platforms and open waiting rooms.

The Darien heating experiment represents Connecticut’s broader infrastructure challenge: ambitious projects that cost more and take longer than promised, delivering mixed results when they finally work. For a total of $38 million ($32 million original contract plus $6 million in cost overruns), commuters expected platforms that could handle a Connecticut winter.

As the project continues toward completion, passengers wait for both spring weather and the other half of their heated platform to start working.