Malloy receives Metro-North safety report

In a release: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Tuesday said he received a report from MTA Metro-North Railroad President Howard Permut "on recent infrastructure, technology and safety actions on the system". 
"The report was issued in response to a December 3 letter that Governor Malloy sent to the MTA requesting a full accounting of actions taken to address key issues following a series of incidents in 2013, including two passenger train derailments in Connecticut and New York – one of them fatal – and the death of a track worker in West Haven, Connecticut."

Read the document here:

Metro North Transportation Committee

Senator Richard Blumenthal to hold hearing on Metro-North Railroad power failure

 

BRIDGEPORT - U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D-Conn. will act as chairman for a field hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security on the recent Metro-North power outage at 10 a.m. Oct. 28 at Bridgeport’s City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace, according to a release.

"The hearing will examine the causes of the outage, how to prevent such failures from reoccurring, and the economic impact of such a major service disruption," according to a release.

The hearing will be streamed live online at http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/live, the release said.

 

"Among those testifying at the hearing include ConEdison President Craig Ivey, MTA Metro-North Railroad President Howard Permut, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Jim Redeker, John Hartwell of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, and Otto Lynch from the American Society of Civil Engineers and Joseph McGee of the Business Council of Fairfield County."
 U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and U.S. Reps. Jim Himes, D-4 and Elizabeth Esty, D-5 also are to testify, the release said.

 

"Blumenthal has called the disruption unacceptable and inexcusable, and has demanded that New York-based utility ConEdison be held accountable for the lack of adequate contingency plans for such a power failure. He has joined Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) in calling on the federal Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and the New York Public Service Commission to conduct an investigation into the cable failure. Blumenthal has also advocated for increased investment in rail and transportation infrastructure."

 

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'MTA Outlines Procedures for New Haven Line Customer Credit Program'

 

A Metro-North representative Friday released the following information on obtaining for loss of service on the New Haven line after a Con-Ed power failure.

 

 The release is shared here (unedited):

 

MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Metro-North Railroad has established procedures for New Haven Line customers weekly and monthly ticket holders who were inconvenienced by the September 25 power failure to obtain credits for their future ticket purchases.

 

The MTA Board authorized these credits at a special meeting October 1, to compensate for the significant disruption caused by a Con Edison power outage to an eight-mile stretch in the heart of the line. The magnitude and duration of the impact of this non-weather related event make this disruption unique in the history of the MTA and Metro-North. 

 

Full service to the New Haven Line will be restored Monday morning, assuming the new substation which received Con Edison power today is found reliable during testing over the weekend. The credit will be a prorated amount, based on the ultimate duration of the service interruption.  Exact credit amounts will be provided shortly and will be based on ticket type and purchase price for each fare zone.

 

Customers holding weekly tickets valid during this time period can begin applying for this credit October 9.  Customers with monthly tickets for September and October can begin applying for this credit October 20 when November monthly tickets go on sale.

 

Monthly customers who hold both a September and October ticket are urged to apply for this credit for both tickets at the same time. Therefore, for customer convenience, Metro-North will honor New Haven Line November monthly tickets for travel beginning October 20.

 

Customers holding a monthly ticket with a MetroCard, may wish to submit their credit request at a later time if there is still value on the MetroCard. Metro-North ticket windows cannot transfer MetroCard value. The MetroCard value can only be transferred to another card at subway station booths.

 

Mail&Ride customers will have this credit automatically applied to their December ticket.  WebTicket customers should visit a ticket window in order to receive this credit.

 

Any customer with a monthly or weekly ticket for transportation during this period must surrender their ticket in order to receive this credit. 

 

Customers can apply for this credit until March 31, 2014.

 

There will be no processing fee charged for these credit transactions.

 

Metro-North will open more ticket windows with extended hours at select outlying New Haven Line stations and in Grand Central Terminal.

 

 

Credit Processing for Weekly Tickets Begins October 9

• Weekly tickets will be accepted for credit from October 9 to March 31, 2014 at all New Haven Line and Grand Central ticket windows. 

 

• Tickets valid for the weeks of September 21 to 27 and September 28 to October 4 can be submitted for credit toward the purchase of a future ticket. (This will be adjusted to reflect the actual date of full restoration of service.)

 

• Customers will be required to surrender their ticket at a ticket office to apply the credit.

 

Credit Processing for Monthly Tickets Begins October 20

• Monthly tickets will be accepted for credit from October 20 to March 31, 2014 at all New Haven Line & Grand Central ticket windows.

• Monthly tickets for September and October will be prorated for the cost of the rail service portion ONLY for the period of time affected by the Con Ed power outage.

 

• September and October monthly tickets can be submitted individually or combined for a credit toward the purchase of one monthly ticket.

 

• All monthly ticket customers are urged to purchase their November ticket early. If customers submit both their October and September monthly tickets for credit toward their November ticket, in this case only, the New Haven Line November ticket will be valid starting October 20th.

 

• Customers will be required to surrender their September and October monthly tickets at a ticket office to apply the credit.

 

•  Mail&Ride Customers: the appropriate credit will be automatically applied to the purchase of your December monthly ticket. Customers who opt out of the Mail&Ride program for the December monthly should contact Mail&Ride at 511 (outside of NYS, 877-690-5114).

• WebTicket Customers: Ticket holders will have to go to a ticket window for a credit toward the purchase of a future ticket.

 

 

 

WHERE TO GO TO GET YOUR CREDIT:

 

To help customers obtain their credits quickly and conveniently and to minimize long lines and for customers—Metro-North will have more ticket windows in operation with extended window hours at select New Haven Line stations and in Grand Central Terminal beginning October 21.

 

• Additional windows will be open from 6 a.m.to 10 p.m. at New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Greenwich, New Rochelle, and Harlem-125th Street from October 21-25.

 

• Additional windows will be open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at South Norwalk and Fordham from October 21-25. 

 

• At Stamford Station on Thursday, October 24, two additional, dedicated windows will be open from 6 a.m.-8 PM where customers can apply for credits.

 

• In Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall from October 28 to November 1, eight temporary tables will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

Metro-North regrets any inconvenience you may have experienced during this service disruption.

For any questions about the credit process, please contact Customer Service at 511 (From Connecticut, 877-690-5114).

 

Track work on the Devon Bridge in Milford will bring busing for Waterbury Branch, Metro-North says

MILFORD - Metro-North Railroad said in a statement that in order to accommodate necessary track work, bus service will replace train service between Waterbury and Bridgeport the weekend of May 18-19.

"Bus service will follow the April 7 train schedule. Train service will resume on Monday, May 20," the statement said.

"The work is being done on the Devon Bridge over the Housatonic River where the Waterbury Branch joins the main New Haven Line.  Metro-North forces will be replacing wooden ties on Track 3 of the moveable bridge as well as the miter rails, which are the rails that move when the bridge opens and are subject to heavy wear.  In addition, the timbers under the moving rails also will be replaced," the statement said.

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