Metro-North safety concerns were given a tragic exclamation point this month when a track worker was killed just days after the unveiling of a 100-day plan to improve rail safety.
The Federal Railroad Administration, meantime, conducted a “Deep Dive” investigation in which it assigned 50 experts in railroad operations and safety to observe the day-to-day operations of the railroad for 60 days and to submit a report. That report said on-time metrics are trumping safety at Metro-North.
Joseph J. Giuletti became the railroad”™s new president in February and announced the 100-day plan this month as a response to a tumultuous stretch for the railroad that included two derailments and power outage that interrupted service. The plan outlined four major steps: promoting a culture of safety, adopting concrete safety enhancements, restoring reliable service and improving communications.
But less than a week after that announcement, on March 10, a Metro-North worker was struck and killed in Harlem by a Poughkeepsie-bound train. That was the latest in a string of tragedies on the Metro-North”™s three rail lines ”” the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven.
In May 2013, a track foreman was struck and killed in West Haven. A New Haven line train derailed last year and a Hudson Line train, reportedly speeding excessively, jumped a track, killing four and leaving 100 others injured.
The Federal Railroad Administration cited a “deficient safety culture” at the railroad.
James Redeker, the Connecticut Department of Transportation commissioner, said his department has a vested interest in monitoring how federal dollars are spent on the rails. The state has already invested $18 million on upgrades to the tracks, Redeker said.
Service has been gradually improving on the Metro-North, Redeker added. A month ago, 80 percent of the trains were considered on time. This month that number increased to 90 percent, he said.
Redeker said that Metro-North administrators have been involved in listening sessions organized by his agency last month, in which the public was invited to voice their concerns.
“We want to include a more public component so people understand what our roles and responsibilities are and there”™s transparency on the outcomes and measures we are or aren”™t achieving,” Redeker said. “When things go well you don”™t think about that. But we”™re in a different spot now. It”™s the right thing to do and necessary thing to do.”
Two ”˜speakout”™ events were held last month in Southport and Stamford. About 200 commuters participated. Several addressed the impact on businesses.
Some Realtors in Connecticut said they”™re losing closings because out-of-state clients are reluctant to buy houses after hearing about the rail issues, said Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group, a web forum where commuters can share their qualms about the Metro-North and exchange information about service changes and delays.
“No one wants to live someplace where when you turn on the tap water doesn”™t come out,” Cameron said. “No one can afford to live in a place where the train is unreliable and will be running slow for decades to come. If people aren”™t moving here demands drop, prices drop and taxes have to rise to meet the cost of diminished property values.”
Lawmakers and officials are receiving complaint emails and phone calls, which got the attention of the federal government. Some commuters have even resorted to “civil disobedience” by boycotting train tickets, but that”™s not the solution, Cameron said.
“People in the legislature, including the governor, who are protesting and screaming at Metro-North, are the same people responsible for the problems we”™re in,” Cameron said.
With travel disruptions happening during an election year, “commuters will remember come November if you”™re not helping in the winter of discontentment,” he said.
