Call-prep brief · checked 2026-08-01

Hartford Line - Rail

Grade B · 83.8 / 100

Unchanged since 2026-07-31.

For this call: lead with the grade and the three fixes below, then confirm the feed is current and the NTD details line up. Each fix is framed as a next step, not a failure.

What changed since the last check

Correctness no change
Freshness no change
Rider experience no change

Top three things to fix

Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead.
The feed contains no fare information. Riders see 'fare unknown' in trip planners and can't budget their trip; visitors are most affected.
Effort: A small file for most flat-fare systems.
Use mixed case for stop names and headsigns (e.g. 'Main St & 2nd Ave', not 'MAIN ST & 2ND AVE').
Some rider-facing names are in ALL CAPS or all lowercase. ALL-CAPS stop and headsign names are harder to read in apps and are read awkwardly by screen readers.
Effort: Often a bulk fix in your scheduling software.
Add feed_contact_email or feed_contact_url to feed_info.txt.
feed_info.txt lists no contact email and no contact URL. Without a contact, apps like Google Maps can't reach you when they find a problem in the feed.
Effort: One field, set once in export settings.

Finding handoff

Move one finding to a recheck

Select one finding. Copy the request, make the change in the feed-producing tool, then compare the next complete run.

Feed evidence: The feed contains no fare information.
Next action: Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead.
Recheck: Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.

Copy handoff text

Agency: Hartford Line - Rail
Finding: scorecard_no_fare_data
Feed evidence: The feed contains no fare information.
Why it matters: Riders see 'fare unknown' in trip planners and can't budget their trip; visitors are most affected.
Requested change: Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead.
Recheck: Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.
Evidence: https://gtfsscorecard.org/agency/connecticut-transit-2840/?finding=scorecard_no_fare_data#finding-handoff

NTD GTFS readiness: Ready

Published at a public URL, valid, current, and identified with agency_id: the four feed checks for RY2026 all hold here. Only your own D-10 and P-50 filings make that official; this is a heads-up, not a determination.

Published Ready: Published at a public URL.
Valid Ready: Passes validation with no errors.
Current Ready: Service data covers the next 345 days.
agency_id provided Ready: agency.txt provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk each value on the P-50 form.

agency_id equals NTD ID (optional): Different (allowed). Your feed's agency_id is 1; your National Transit Database ID is 10048. A feed that serves several agencies (a shared regional feed) can legitimately carry more than one agency_id. The values do not need to equal the five-digit NTD ID, so this difference is allowed and carries no score. Confirm that P-50 crosswalks agency_id 1 to NTD ID 10048, and keep the feed value stable. Do not change it solely to make the two values equal.

Key facts

Feed URL: https://ctrides.com/hlgtfs.zip
Last checked: 2026-08-01
Service window: 345 days of service data remain. Last service date 2027-07-12.
Feed version: S1000057
Location: Connecticut

Part of the Connecticut portfolio: see where this agency sits among the state's feeds before the call.

A data-quality and completeness read to support an agency conversation. Not an official compliance determination. Rubric v1.3, validator 8.0.1.