36 Business View Magazine - April 2016
And so, the town has been designing a rail station and
transit center in the section of town called Thompson-
ville – an old mill village that used to be dominated
by the Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Company. “In the early
1970s, the mill closed and moved to North Carolina,”
says Bryanton. “And that devastated the village. We’re
trying to do everything in our power get the station built
because we see it as a catalyst for Thompsonville.”
But, while some progress has indeed been made, one
main stumbling block remains. “Right now,” Bryanton
says, “there’s no actual construction funds allocated
for an Enfield station.” On the bright side, however,
Erdmann expresses confidence that money will be
made available at some point in the near future, based
on the strong stance the state is taking regarding its
mass transit agenda. “Our current governor has made
improving the transportation network in Connecticut
one of his top priorities,” he states optimistically. “He’s
proposed a hundred billion-dollar, thirty-year program
to improve transportation in the state. He’s very com-
mitted to this; the General Assembly is committed to
it. So it’s not a question of if it’s going to happen; it’s
just a question of when is it going to happen and when
is the federal and state money going to be provided to
make it happen.”
While getting the trains to serve passengers at a new
station is a key part of the plan, Enfield’s leaders view
the transit center project as more than just a stop on
the Hartford Line – as important as that would be. De-
signs envision a comprehensive, multi-modal entity
