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Community Corner

Hoydick, Miller & Kelly Call for Action on Problems Facing Metro-North Railroad

HARTFORD – In separate events in Hartford and Fairfield, legislators held press conferences to call attention to the need for state and federal action aimed at addressing the increasing infrastructure problems with Metro-North Railroad that have made the line unreliable.  A bipartisan group of legislators gathered on Monday morning at the state capitol to call for action. Later that afternoon a group of Fairfield County legislators braved the snow at the Fairfield Metro Center train station, saying that there is no more time for delay.

“The problems that have plagued the Metro-North line are a tremendous concern to the residents of Stratford and our region so we can no longer afford continued deterioration of service,” said Representative Hoydick.  “The time for action on the aging infrastructure of this rail line is long overdue and immediate action is needed.”

“Many Stratford families rely on Metro-North to get to and from work, school and home every day, and the recent safety and service failures are unacceptable to our community,” said Senator Kelly.  “Transportation issues need to be a priority for Connecticut. These problems have gone on for too long and it’s time we act to address Metro-North’s failures.”

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“The problems with Metro-North are only getting more troubling,” said Rep. Larry Miller.  “If these concerns aren’t addressed swiftly, the safety and efficiency issues will only escalate.  A failure to take action would be highly irresponsible.”

During the Hartford press conference attended by Rep. Laura Hoydick (R-120) the chairs and ranking members of the State’s Transportation Committee and other supporting legislators, they announced the sending of a letter to federal transportation officials in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut’s federal congressional delegation, as well as CT Dept. of Transportation Commissioner Jim Redeker.

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The letter explained the lawmakers’ concerns and called on the CEO of Metro North to establish measureable goals toward a safer and more dependable standard of service. The letter also asked the federal government to provide managerial and technical expertise, and for the congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Transportation to prioritize funding for repairs and maintenance on the Metro North railroad, with particular attention to be paid to the New Haven line.

The legislators called for Metro-North to establish measurable goals to achieve a safer and more dependable standard of service. The most important issues for commuters include:

  • Adherence to national safety standards and protocols that are currently not being met;
  • A commitment to immediately resolve passenger problems that are now occurring on a weekly basis;
  • Providing evidence of management oversight of all employee activities.

The legislators insisted that the situation must be addressed now to restore trust in Metro-North’s ability to run its operations, but acknowledged that Connecticut has little to no leverage since it is locked into a 60 year contract with Metro-North.

They suggested that the federal government may wish to provide Metro-North with managerial and technical expertise to resolve the serious problems that they are experiencing. This assistance could be a valuable transitional tool for the new leadership of the railroad as it works to fill the existing void in its management
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