Over 100 people attended a forum in Fairfield on Tuesday night intended for Metro-North commuters to talk about problems plaguing the rail service. Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker attended the event at the Pequot Library and took questions.
Riders complained about service delays caused by electrical problems, crowded trains, and heating and cooling problems. Some commuters also accused Connecticut and Metro-North officials of not caring about them, and not wanting to take responsibility.
The event was sponsored by The Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby, which had advertised on a flyer, "Railroad performance is not acceptable! Connecticut commuters pay the highest rail fares in the U.S., and our state pays Metro-North $73 million a year to run the trains."
At the event, @CTRailCommuters tweeted several remarks. "SRO" refers to standing room only on the trains.
Redeker: we don't want svc to be so bad that people want to leave CT. SRO is because people are missing their trains.
— CT Rail Commuters (@CTRailCommuters) February 19, 2014
Redeker: Crowding is not safe. Good Service signs are a joke but $30 mill would be cost to update, money better spent elsewhere.
— CT Rail Commuters (@CTRailCommuters) February 19, 2014
Redeker: 25 years of neglect... We are trying to catch up
— CT Rail Commuters (@CTRailCommuters) February 19, 2014
MNRR Kovach: we DO care. If we didn't we wouldn't be here.
— CT Rail Commuters (@CTRailCommuters) February 19, 2014
(Cat calls... Shouting). Moderator. 4 more speakers.
Commuter: you guys should ride the trains. Last Fri SRO made tix collection impossible. Good service signs are insulting.
— CT Rail Commuters (@CTRailCommuters) February 19, 2014
A Metro-North derailment in the Bronx in December left four people dead and another in Bridgeport last May injured scores of people. Power outages and downed wires have stranded hundreds of passengers this year.
The Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is holding another forum on Metro-North service at 7:00 pm on Wednesday in Stamford.
For more coverage of Tuesday's event:
"Commuters Rail at Metro-North RR for Litany of Woes," by Martin B. Cassidy in The Fairfield Citizen
"Angry Metro-North Riders Demand Action, Not More Promises," by Don Stacom in The Hartford Courant
This report includes information from The Associated Press.