And there’s the rub: Connecticut trains need both AC and DC, overhead and third-rail, power pick-ups and processors. That means a lot more electronics, and added cost, for each car.

He was born Aug. 2, 1948, in Minnie, Ky., where he graduated from Betsy Lane High School in 1967. He moved to New London in 1969. Fannin worked for the former AC&Y Railroad for 23 years on the ...