Monday, Nov. 16 changed two things in Windsor Locks. The Windsor Locks Canal Trail closed for its season, and it stays closed through March 31. On the same day, a new CTrail Hartford Line schedule took effect, and the Hartford Line's notice says weekend trains to and from Hartford now continue on to Windsor and Windsor Locks.
For the next four and a half months, the easiest weekend outing in town starts at the station instead of the canal path. That's because the station isn't where it used to be.
The Platform Moved Downtown in October
The new station at 229 Main Street opened Oct. 18, 2026. Rail and bus service moved there from the old location south of downtown, and the state now describes it as close to Town Hall and the Windsor Locks Public Library. The old platform at South Main Street and Stanton Road is closed. The Hartford Line's station page warns that cars left in the old lot may be towed.
- Parking: 160 free spaces, open 24/7, with EV charging.
- Waiting: A heated shelter on the platform that's open on one side, plus benches and electronic departure boards.
- Snow: According to CTDOT's opening announcement, the platform has an electric snow-melting system, and level boarding is reached by ramps from the lot.
- Restrooms: None.
The station opened about a month before the Nov. 16 schedule change. When it opened, CTDOT listed 31 weekday trains, 23 on Saturdays and 24 on Sundays. The Nov. 16 schedule adds the extended weekend Hartford trains on top of that.
What the Weekend Timetable Looks Like Now
The new timetable, effective Nov. 16, lists southbound weekend departures from Windsor Locks from 6:09 a.m. to 10:03 p.m. Heading north, the last listed weekend train leaves Hartford at 10:55 p.m. and reaches Windsor Locks at 11:09 p.m. The 6:09 a.m. train gets to Hartford at 6:24 a.m. The 10:19 a.m. gets there at 10:39 a.m. Going the other way, the 9:18 a.m. reaches Springfield at 9:42 a.m. So downtown Hartford is about 15 to 20 minutes away and Springfield about 22 to 24.
The weekend page marks some trains Saturday only and others Sunday only. Before a specific trip, check the day markers on the PDF.
The station also changed weekend trips to the airport. CTtransit Route 24 now serves the station and runs daily to Bradley International Airport. Buses come every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 40 minutes on weekends, and the ride to Terminal A takes about 12 minutes. CTDOT calls the weekend airport connections new with this station. If holiday guests are flying in on a Saturday, they can now take the bus from Bradley to the station. Routes 96E and 905 Express also stop there. Bus times are on CTtransit.
Where the Weekend Trains Go Between Thanksgiving and New Year's
The schedule change arrived as the region's holiday calendar starts, and most of the big events are near a station on this line.
| Outing | Where | 2026 dates | From Windsor Locks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterfest free skating | Bushnell Park, by the Pump House, Hartford | From Nov. 27, Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Train to Hartford |
| Springfield Thunderbirds weekend home games | MassMutual Center, Springfield | Sat. Dec. 5 and Sat. Dec. 12 at 6:05 p.m.; Sun. Dec. 27 at 3:05 p.m. | Train to Springfield |
| Breakfast with Santa | MassMutual Center, Springfield | Sat. Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. | Train to Springfield |
| Bright Nights | Forest Park, 295 Sumner Ave., Springfield | Nov. 25 to Jan. 3; closed Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 | Train to Springfield, then a ride to Forest Park |
Winterfest Hartford fits the new schedule best. Skating and skate rentals are free, and the rink is in Bushnell Park, by the Pump House. The rink closes at 8 p.m. The weekend timetable lists northbound Hartford departures at 8:21 and 8:35 p.m., reaching Windsor Locks at 8:39 and 8:51 p.m. If the skaters want to stay out later, the 10:55 p.m. train is the last one.
The trains don't fit Springfield as well. The MassMutual Center lists Breakfast with Santa at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. The earliest weekend northbound train on the new timetable doesn't reach Springfield until 9:42 a.m. For that morning, drive. The Thunderbirds' Saturday 6:05 p.m. games work better by train. The last weekend train south from Springfield leaves at 9:45 p.m. and reaches Windsor Locks at 10:03 p.m.
Bright Nights opens its 32nd season on Nov. 25. It's at Forest Park, not downtown, so the train only covers part of that trip.
The Closest Stop After the Last Train Is Dexter Plaza
Coming home doesn't have to mean going straight to the car. Dexter Plaza at 20 Main Street has the original taproom of Luppoleto Brewing Company, and Luppoleto's own page puts the new station less than half a mile away. The taproom has 11 house beers on tap. It also serves Connecticut-made cider, wine and Hosmer Mountain sodas, plus house batch cocktails.
The hours limit the plan. The Windsor Locks taproom is open Thursday and Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. It's closed Sunday through Wednesday. The 3:47 p.m. southbound train covers a Saturday matinee in Hartford. Riders on the 5:46 p.m. northbound from Hartford get back to Windsor Locks at 6:02 p.m., which leaves time for a pint before the 8 p.m. close. If you take the train home after a Sunday game, the taproom will be closed.
There's food in the same plaza. Luppoleto names its neighbors Moon Star and Pizza Time, books rotating food trucks and lets customers bring their own food. The brewery opened a second location in East Granby in June 2026. Dexter Plaza is still the one near the platform.
Why the Canal Trail Is Closed, and What Opens Next
The canal closure makes this winter's trains matter more. The station project built a new pedestrian bridge over the Windsor Locks Canal that links the Main Street multiuse trail to the Canal Trail, as part of about 1,800 feet of rebuilt Main Street with new sidewalks and signals. The Canal Trail on the other side of that bridge is closed until April 1. The CT Parks page lists the park as open April 1 through Nov. 15. The first weekend of extended trains comes less than a week after the trail closed, and the trail and the trains will only run in the same season starting in April.
Construction around the station isn't finished. Track work along the line continues, and CTDOT expects the whole project to be done in spring 2028. At the north end of Main Street, Trinity Financial is building where the vacant Windsor Locks Commons strip mall used to be. The Hartford Courant reported that demolition began in July and site work was underway in October. Phase one is a four-story building with 70 apartments, and the full plan includes about 4,000 square feet of commercial space. Trinity's Dan Drazen told the Courant, "This is the first of two phases," and said the second would likely start in two to three years. The same report says the state is putting $12.1 million toward the $49 million first phase. The town is also working to restore the historic train station.
The trains north of town will change too, but not soon. CTDOT broke ground on an Enfield station in Thompsonville on Oct. 28, 2026. It will fill an approximately 15-mile gap in the line between Windsor Locks and Springfield Union Station, and completion is expected in fall 2030. Until then, Windsor Locks is the last Hartford Line stop before Springfield, and the Nov. 16 schedule extended the weekend Hartford trains this far.
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