only station stop between New London to Brattleboro, which was traversed late at night in both directions; a stop at Willimantic, Connecticut, was added in 1991. After fiscal issues in 1995, the Montrealer was cut back to St. Albans and moved to a daytime schedule as the Vermonter. It was rerouted over the Springfield Line between New Haven and Springfield, and the Boston Subdivision from Springfield to Palmer, Massachusetts. At Palmer the train reversed directions and continued north along the Central Vermont (which was sold to the New England Central Railroad that year). On December 29, 2014, the Vermonter was rerouted onto the Conn River Line between Springfield and Northfield, Massachusetts, after the line received major upgrades. This eliminated the reverse move at Palmer, which will lead to faster service, and added stations at Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield; however, it ended direct service to Amherst. Modern planning During the building of Foxwoods Casino and Mohegan Sun Casino in the 1990s and 2000s, commuter rail service was considered on the New London to Norwich section of the line to reduce traffic impacts on Route 2. However, upgrades to Route 2 were selected instead. In October 2012, an excursion train was run to raise support for the project, which has been endorsed by a number of the town governments along the line. In November 2012, officials from Mansfield, New London, Norwich, and Windham (all of which will be served by station stops) plus the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments signed an agreement to pursue funding for the service. In January 2014, it was announced that backers of the line would try to seek federal funding in order to get the line funded. Congressman Joe Courtney is backing the project, along with Connecticut State Senator Cathy Osten. In September 2014, NECR was awarded a $8.2 million TIGER grant for upgrading 55 miles of track in Connecticut; the $10.5 million project is primarily for freight use but is also a prerequisite for any future passenger service. In 2021, Connecticut lawmakers allocated $2.3 million for Connecticut Department of Transportation to study the expansion of the Shore Line East service east to Westerly, RI with the possibility of expansion north to Norwich, CT, with additional studies for infill stations along the two railways. The study is expected to be concluded in Fall 2023. Rolling stock Equipment is proposed to be refurbished 1950s Budd Rail Diesel Cars,