All Aboard: In and Around the Darien Train Station

The Darien train station, located in the heart of downtown, has been under construction for the past few years to provide much needed improvements to the facility. And while the area around the station hasn’t seen the scale of development taking place elsewhere, just under half a mile away the Corbin District is adding new residents and businesses. 

Let’s explore the Darien train station area.

At the Station 

The Darien train station is currently undergoing a $40 million renovation project that has been delayed multiple times. The goal behind the project was to address “structural deficiencies at the station's platforms and bring the rest of the station into a state of good repair,” according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Some of the issues included deteriorated platforms, non-ADA compliant areas, and elevator issues. 

The project was initially slated to cost $34 million, but delays pushed it closer to $40 million. The work includes replacing all the platforms with “heated, fiber-reinforced polymer transit panels.” These are intended to eliminate the need for salt or sand on icy days. 

In addition, the project included replacing and relocating four catenary structures that carry overhead wires in the area; replacing the stairs, access ramps, and lighting; rehabilitating the elevators, adding new signage; and installing new electrical service that has an emergency generator. 

The construction was initially scheduled to be completed in July 2024, but due to delays, that date has been pushed to spring 2026. 

First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky wrote in his July newsletter that the delays included “manufacturing challenges…bankrupcy of the manufacturer of steel fencing…unexpected repair needs for the culvert that runs underneath the tracks…[and] utility trenching made more difficult by the unmapped presence of pipes and underground infrastructure.”

“It’s always something,” he wrote, before adding that he saw they were “making progress. The elevator renovations are done except for power hookup, paving by the station house is in progress, and most of the electrical conduits are in place.”

Zagrodzky said that in mid-October the focus of the work would switch from the eastbound platforms (heading to New Haven) to the westbound platforms (heading toward New York.) 

“I know this project has been frustratingly long, but please be patient!” he wrote. “Based on my interactions, I have confidence in the CTDOT team. The result will be worth the wait.”

The Corbin District

As noted above, the Darien train station is located in the center of the downtown, meaning there’s not a lot of room for development to take place right around the station—as is happening at other stations in the region. Darien as a town has focused much of its transit-oriented development around its other station, Noroton Heights, which has seen new apartments, new restaurants, and new businesses open around the station. 

However, just about a half mile from the station is the new Corbin District, which features residences, shopping, dining, offices, and more. Baywater Properties, which owns the 7-acre site, said this district is “resetting the landscape of shopping, dining, lifestyle and entertainment,” and “creating one of the most enjoyable and walkable downtown environments in the region.”

The Corbin District plans include 11 new mixed-use buildings that feature 116 apartments, restaurants, retail, and offices. The first half of the project was completed in late 2023, and the second phase is estimated to be completed by summer-fall 2026. The plan is to bring about 30 to 35 new businesses to Darien. 

“We are at this time on schedule for opening the offices associated with The Corbin District in the summer of 2026, as well as many of the retail stores and restaurants,” David Genovese, founder of Baywater Properties wrote in July. “The apartments will become available for occupancy in phases from the fall of 2026 through the end of the year. It is an exciting time for the project, as you can now see the buildings rising on the site.”