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WESTPORT, Conn. Delays on Metro-North's New Haven Line on Thursday evening made railroad President Howard Permut at least 20 minutes late to a public forum where the railroad's bad service was the topic of discussion.
The forum, organized by Metro-North and the state Department of Transportation, focused on a July 22 incident in which more than 200 people were stuck in 100-degree weather on a New Haven-bound train that stalled in Westport.
"I've been taking the train for about 15 years and that was by far the worst experience I've ever gone through on Metro-North," said Stratford resident Dot Crosby, who commutes to Greenwich. "The conductors did nothing to help people. Metro-North is useless. They should be ashamed of themselves."
At the beginning of the meeting, Permut apologized for the incident, which he blamed on the 100-year-old infrastructure and a series of heat-related problems that plagued the railroad that day.
Commuter Caryn Falvey, a North Granby resident who described herself as "a fan of Metro-North," said she understands that trains sometimes break down. However, she said her main complaint was the lack of communication passengers received and the way conductors behaved.
"When the train stopped, we were not given any information for a while. We heard by rumor what had happened," Falvey said. "Finally there was a conductor that came through and people were arguing with him because they wanted to have the doors open."
Falvey, agreeing with Crosby, said the conductors showed no concern for the passengers. In fact, she said the first time she recalled anyone asking about their welfare was when the first responders arrived. Falvey said she heard many inappropriate and vulgar comments among the conductors, adding "insult to injury."
Fairfield resident Diane Lisi, who was also stuck on the sweltering hot train that day, took the opportunity to highlight other problems she has experienced over the years, saying such incidents are not isolated.
"I have taken every train from 6:30 a.m. to 12:22 a.m. and every one of them, at one time or another, has had an incident," Lisi said. She has been on trains with no heat in the winter and trains that have no lights at night, among other problems.
"Anytime I've asked a conductor to explain the problem or have questioned something, the response has been unanimous 'If you don't like it, take I-95. See how you like that.' Or, they just ignore me," she said. "They do this because you have a monopoly. There is better service and care on trains in third-world countries."
During the forum, Permut acknowledged that Metro-North needs to improve in some areas, particularly with regard to communication. At the close of the forum, he said he would be happy to hold additional meetings throughout the state to hear from more commuters.
As a result of the incident, Permut said the railroad plans to stock more train cars with water, review protocol for using the public address systems on trains and at stations, and conduct more drills, among other improvements. A full report on the incident and a review of actions taken by Metro-North can be viewed here.
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