Community Corner

Himes, DeLauro Call for Investigation Into Metro-North

The Congressional delegates say the transit organization's emergency response needs improvement.

Alarming and intolerable are two words being used by Connecticut Congressional delegates to describe what they perceive to be a failure in emergency communication by Metro-North.

And, as such, U.S. Reps. Jim Himes (D-4) and Rosa DeLauro (D-3) are calling on Metro-North to perform an investigation into the events of Friday, July 22, when trains became inoperable during the afternoon commute and passengers were left stranded on sweltering trains with little information and no safe exit.

In a letter [see attached] sent this week to Metro-North officials, Himes and DeLauro are urging the transit organization to establish a standard operating procedure for responding to train outages that includes specific protocol for communicating with passengers.

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“Reports from passengers aboard these trains are alarming,” they wrote. “Commuters were stranded in train cars with no power as their surrounding temperatures reached over 100 degrees. Meanwhile, they received no information from train officials, leaving them confused, helpless, and, given the weather conditions, in potential physical danger… With no incoming information from MTA or Metro North officials, several individuals who were able to pry open train doors exited trains directly onto the tracks."

“…the blame can only be placed on outdated rail infrastructure that has that has yet to be replaced. But the treatment of passengers and the lack of communication between Metro-North employees and commuters cannot be tolerated.”

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In a statement released Thursday, Metro-North responded to DeLauro and Himes’ letter:

The extreme temperature and its impact on the century-old catenary system combined to create an extraordinarily difficult situation for our customers and the people responding to events on the New Haven Line last Friday. Metro-North Railroad is conducting a review of the circumstances surrounding the multiple incidents that occurred. We also are working with local emergency responders; their input is important to ensure as complete a review as possible. We will share the results of our inquiry.” 

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-26, and the fire chief are expected to meet this Friday to discuss Metro-North's response. Darien resident Jim Cameron, the chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, requested to sit on that meeting, but was denied, he said.

Cameron provided Patch with a document containing eyewitness accounts, which is attached as a PDF. [Editor's note: contact information of the eyewitness has been redacted.]

“While incidents like this illustrate the dire need to invest in our transportation infrastructure, especially trains in the Northeast, we absolutely must uphold the highest standards of passenger safety,” said Himes, of Cos Cob. “I appreciate that Metro-North has apologized to passengers, but we need procedures in place to ensure future travelers remain safe and well-informed.” 

“Until we complete the long overdue replacement of railcars and electrical systems on the Metro-North line we need to ensure that we have policies and procedures in place for future problems,” DeLauro said. “These kinds of delays and miscommunication are not only inconvenient, they can be dangerous. I will keep working, along with my colleagues, to improve our rail infrastructure and ensure that commuters can reach their destination safely and on time.”

Related Topics: , , and What steps do you think Metro-North should take to improve emergency communications to passengers?


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