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UPDATED 1:15 p.m.
It was another bad morning on the New Haven Line. The aging fleet was been crippled by repeated snow storms and this morning's frigid conditions did not help, said Metro North spokesperson Marjorie Anders. About a quarter of the fleet is in the shop for repairs to snow-damaged motors and other electrical components. There were five trains cancelled because of a lack of equipment.
Anders also noted that the Waterbury line did not have a train set and had to be covered by bus service.
In addition she said, some trains experienced mechanical problems en route and as a result, there were about 40 late trains this morning - anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. To make up for the lack of electric equipment, Metro-North has put diesel locomotives hauling coaches into service on the New Haven Line.
According to the National Weather Service, the high temperature for the region will climb only to about 17 degrees. And, guess whats on the way once again? Thats right, snow. Theres a 20 percent chance of precipitation tonight, 30 percent Tuesday, and 80 percent Wednesday.
Unfortunately, it will take a few days before the New Haven Line returns to its customary on-time performance of 96 percent, Anders said.
ORIGINAL STORY
Many morning commuters who ride the New Haven-to-Grand Central Metro-North line were out of luck getting to work on time this morning. The 8:50 a.m. train was canceled, and riders had to wait to board a later train.
The culprit was the frigid weather, according to Metro- North personnel at the New Haven station. When an attempt was made to ready the train, it wouldnt fire up.
This was despite steps taken over the weekend by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates Metro-North, to make sure trains remained operational in the extreme cold. In addition to curtailing ice build-up, extra crews were positioned in yards while others checked on signals and switches along the right of way, according to the Metro-North website.
Check back for updates throughout the day.
Were you one of the commuters waiting for the 8:50 a.m. out of New Haven? When did you finally make a connection?
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