Reduced Rail Service To New York Continues To Jam Traffic

Commuters who plan on traveling into New York today and into the upcoming week should be prepared for increased traffic on the roads and for significant delays on the rails. Railroad commuters should consider making alternate plans as Metro-North and Con Edison make repairs to the electrical outage on the New Haven Line.

“Connecticut commuters should not even be in this situation,” said Governor Dannel Malloy in a press released on Sunday. “For the last five days, I have been making it clear to Con Ed and the MTA that a delay like the one they initially proposed was completely unacceptable.  While I’m glad they moved their deadline up at my urging, I want to reemphasize that they need to alleviate this problem as quickly as possible.”

“All indications right now point to another tough commute,” continued the Governor.  “Even with some electric service restored, there will be very limited service and significant overcrowding on trains.  If at all possible, I would urge residents to consider working from home or shifting their time of travel to off-peak periods.  If you have to drive, considering carpooling.  Our state Department of Transportation is continuing to do their best to ensure that travel on the roadways moves as efficiently as possible during this situation.”

Although temporary transformers were installed this weekend that will allow electric trains to operate from New Haven straight through to New York beginning on Monday morning, there will continue to be a very reduced schedule compared to a normal peak period, with trains expected to run at only 50 percent of peak morning capacity on the New Haven Line.  The Waterbury Branch will still be operated on Monday with substitute buses.

In addition to the train service, regional park-rides are being established for access to Harlem Line trains, which will have added cars to handle the crowds.  Combined with additional park-rides, the overall plan will deliver about 65 percent of normal peak capacity.

Monday’s New Haven Line schedule is posted on Metro-North's website. New Haven Line tickets will continue to be honored on the Harlem Line.