Commuters Still Angry At New Haven Line Cuts

Flickr user springhudson

The MTA has released more information on the new cuts to service on the New Haven Metro-North line. MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan tells us the new schedules are up on the Metro-North website, and that "on weekdays, off-peak schedules remain the same as under the current timettable. On weekends, a Sunday Schedule will be in effect for Saturdays as well as Sundays." That doesn't sound as bad as the cuts could be, but commuters and MTA workers are still shocked that they even happened.

Metro-North was forced to run shorter trains less frequently because nearly half of the trains on the New Haven line were put out of the service due to the harsh weather. “I’ve never seen this in 34 years,” Metro-North electrician John Standish said. “They come, and you fix one thing, and sometimes you find three [other problems]...Most of our fleet is in the ’74, ’75, ’76 range - they’re tired." The state of Connecticut is responsible for 65% of the line's operating costs, and had been reticent to invest in a newer train fleet. New cars are currently undergoing safety inspections, but many see the service cuts as the problematic result of what happens when you don't invest in infrastructure.

"The new cars should have been ordered a decade ago, before the existing fleet broke down,” Jim Cameron of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council told WNYC. “The reason that didn’t happen is Governor Rowland didn’t want to spend the money." Riders of the Harlem and Hudson lines on Metro-North won't have to worry about service cuts because the fine state of New York invested in a newer fleet years ago. We're #1!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jaya Saxena in News on February 5, 2011 12:55 PM

Comments [rss]

silver

This shit with all the new haven cars breaking down happened back in 2004. Same exact way. Why so much bitching now?

In late 2004, SLE purchased 33 single level Mafersa coaches from Virginia Railway Express (VRE), to increase its fleet size and accommodate higher ridership, as well as to provide a critical reserve in case of mechanical breakdown. Mindful of the weather-related equipment failures that plagued both Connecticut commuter railroads in the winter of 2003-2004, Governor Jodi Rell directed that the new cars be put into service immediately, without even taking time to paint them in SLE livery. As of late 2007, all former VRE coaches have been rehabilitated inside and out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...

Stevennnn

Thanks for using my picture Gothamist!

Why are commuters shocked? The CT fleet should have been retired almost a decade ago. Ex Gov John Rowland didn't want to spent one dime on new train cars, which MTA/Metro-North knew the fleet was on its last legs.

CT Rail Commuter Cnl

Our Gov. Malloy claims he's solved the car shortage, but he's being less than honest with commuters.

Moving 14 cars from the Waterbury branch to the mainline is stealing Peter to pay Paul. And 14 cars don't make much difference when 150+ are out of service.

Also, this was not the Gov's solution. Metro-North has been busing Waterbury riders for 2 weeks.

Can't we get some honest answers from our new Governor?

See http://bit.ly/dWjlk3 or www.trainweb.org/ct