Jorda Dawkins takes the Metro-North train from Bridgeport to Darien every day, but recent bad weather has made her daily commute much more stressful. "It's crazy. It takes two hours when it normally takes 45 minutes," Dawkins said. Now she's left standing out in the harsh cold, waiting for her train. When she finally gets on the train, she says it is overly crowded. "It's horrible."
Commuters relying on the Metro-North New Haven Line will be adjusting their routines after the recent storms caused equipment shortages.
"The extreme weather causes the electronic and air systems on our 40-year-old-plus New Haven Line fleet to fail," MTA officials said in a statement.
Riding conditions have become uncomfortable for passengers such as Joe Ehlinger. "It's miserable," said Ehlinger, who has been taking the train since 1989. "They have this whole self-promotion going on now about all the improvements. They picked the worst time in the world. No one's seeing any improvements."
New Haven Line passengers are looking at 20- to 25-minute delays and packed cars on all trains this week. Out of Metro-North's 337 train cars, more than 150 are of out of service. Problems include frozen brakes, doors jammed by ice and traction motors that need to be replaced. A passenger on a packed train from New Canaan last week posted a video online of a door wide open with people standing inches away while passing through Harlem.
"It definitely affects my commute," said Janelle Wolitiski, who also takes the train from Bridgeport to Darien. "We're kind of at the mercy of the trains."
Employees will be working around the clock making repairs and replacing parts in an effort to have the cars running as soon as possible. "There are no quick fixes," the MTA said.
With the shortage of cars, the MTA said, "We are forced to decide whether we can operate all our trains with less cars or whether we must cancel trains. Unfortunately, this week will have to do both."
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Your fellow Fairfield County train riders also are speaking out about Metro-North. To see more stories, click on the headlines below:
Metro-North Cuts Service for February
Metro-North Problems Irk Fairfielders
Rail Riders in Greenwich Face Delays and Packed Trains
Weather, Delays Aggravate New Canaan Metro-North Riders
New Canaan Train Riders Endure Tree Delay
Riders in Norwalk Learn To Live With Train Woes
Stamford Train Tales: From Smooth to Nightmare
Wilton Commuters Deal With Train Woes
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