Tag Archives: Metro-North

Talking Transportation: Memoirs of a Metro-North Conductor

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Jim Cameron

Being a train conductor seems like a simple, boring job: collecting tickets, opening and closing doors, reminding people to keep their feet off the seats. Yawn.

But there’s a lighter side to the job, as I wrote a few years ago, based on former conductor Michael Shaw’s great book, “My Rail Life,” after he retired from a 36-year career on the New Haven line. He clearly loved his job. And he swears these stories are true.

He once told passengers on a standing-room only train: “OK, folks. We are half way to Grand Central. It’s time for everyone who’s been seated to get up and give their seats to folks who’ve been standing.”

Asked by a passenger boarding at Grand Central, “What times does this train arrive in Stamford?” he answered candidly, “Usually about 20 minutes after the schedule says.”

On another train he announced: “Folks, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Metro-North fixed the air conditioning you complained about not having all summer long. The bad news it’s now winter.”

Honest to a fault, he turned in everything left by passengers on his train to the Metro-North Lost and Found … even an envelope containing $400 in cash. (The lost money wasn’t claimed so he got it back.) On several occasions, he’d find a lost briefcase or cell-phone and personally return it to the owner’s home the same day.

He also loved razzing his fellow railroad workers, once announcing, “If you have any railroad questions or would like to take your picture with a real railroad engineer, come to the front of the train and say hello to Jerry, who loves chatting with people.” The engineer’s name was not Jerry and the real man at the controls really didn’t like people.

Approaching Bridgeport, Shaw announced the connection for the Waterbury train, adding “Be sure to ask your Waterbury conductor for one of the free 100 Years Commemorative pins.” There were no such pins.

On Friday late night trains, Shaw would bet with his fellow conductors watching drunk passengers boarding at Grand Central, guessing who would be first to throw up. Shaw immediately chose a 95-pound blonde he saw staggering to the nearest car with her equally inebriated boyfriend. Even before leaving the station his co-worker came and gave him his winnings.

Shaw always went out of his way to keep passengers informed about delays. In the horrendous winter of 2014 when the railroad almost ground to a halt, he printed a one-page apology for the previous day’s delays and did his own seat-drop of 500 copies before the train left New Haven. His regular passengers were so grateful for his candor, they gave him a standing ovation as he entered each car to collect tickets. His railroad bosses were not amused.

Approaching an obviously “senior” citizen to collect his fare, the old timer asked if Shaw needed his ID to prove his age. Saying that wouldn’t be necessary, the old timer asked, “Are you saying I look too old?” “No,” said Shaw. “You look honest.”

On another occasion he approached an elderly, grey-haired woman, who wanted to buy a senior-discount ticket. “Are you over 65?,” he asked in a teasing voice. “Actually, I’m 82” she said. “Well, you look marvelous!,” said Shaw, asking “What’s your secret?” Without a smile or batting an eyelash, she said “Rough sex.”

If you need a good chuckle, you’ll love this book.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” won first place in the general column/commentary category in the 2024 Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: Rules Vary for Bikes on Board

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Jim Cameron

Taking mass transit is great. But when you step off your train or bus, what do you do to get to your final destination? Increasingly, that means BYO wheels: a bike, e-bike or scooter.

The problem is the rules for bringing your “wheels” are much different depending on your carrier.

METRO-NORTH:

You can bring your non-electric-powered bike on the train anytime except rush-hour. Some cars include wall-mounted racks; check TrainTime for bike-friendly trains and car markings. If you have a folding bike that can stow in the overhead rack, you can bring it anytime.

But if your bike or scooter is powered, the rules are quite different.

First, you can’t ride your e-whatever at the station, on the platform or in the train. You can only bring your wheels on the train if it folds up, weighs less than 100 pounds and is your property, i.e. not a CitiBike, VEO etc.

You cannot charge your e-bike on the train. It must have UL-certified batteries and be stored in an area so it doesn’t block other passengers. Whatever the rules may be, the train conductor or railroad staffer always has the final say and can stop you and your bike from being on the train.

Remember… if your final destination is Grand Central Terminal there are any number of Citi Bike stations just outside on the street. At New Haven there are bike-shares available through Ride New Haven.

SHORE LINE EAST & HARTFORD LINE:

The e-bike rules here are quite similar. Unlike on Metro-North, regular (non-electric) bicycles are welcome anytime. On the Harford Line, CT Rail trains welcome bikes anytime for free. But Amtrak Hartford Line trains accept bikes only with a reservation and a charge of $20. All e-bikes with lithium-ion batteries are banned on all trains on the line.

At Hartford’s Union Station you can rent a scooter (but no bikes) through VEO. Bikes may be added in the future.

CT TRANSIT BUSES:

Connecticut’s buses were pioneers in allowing bikes … not on the bus, but on racks mounted on the front of the bus. The racks only hold two bikes, and it’s first-come, first-carried.

Only standard non-motorized bikes are allowed on racks; e-bikes, scooters, and motorized vehicles are not permitted, regardless of weight.

OTHER BUSES IN CONNECTICUT:

All GBTA (Greater Bridgeport) buses are equipped to carry your bicycle … two-bike maximum, first-come first-served. Norwalk Transit rules aren’t crystal clear. You might want to consult your carrier’s website or ask the driver before trying to transport your device.

PORT JEFFERSON FERRY:
The Port Jefferson Ferry allows bicycles and e-bikes onboard, but according to company policy, they are considered luggage and must be kept with the rider at all times. Cyclists are required to carry their bikes as well as any baggage up and down staircases to the passenger decks. If there’s room you can use the elevator.

Whatever your destination, always BYO (and wear) a helmet when operating on two wheels. And remember: E-bikes and scooters should use UL-certified batteries and never be charged aboard any vehicle or station.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: Jim Cameron Finally Boards the NextGen Acela

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Jim Cameron

I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: This really is Amtrak’s train of the future.

But here are a few tips for making your next ride frictionless. These tips are mostly about riding Acela, but many hold true for slower Northeast Corridor trains.

WHAT’S A NEXTGEN ACELA? These are the new trains built by Alstom, previously known as Avelia Liberty. They hold 25% more passengers than the existing Acela trains and can, at least for 32 miles with fast, straight track in New Jersey, travel up to 160 mph compared to the old Acela’s 150 mph.

Just a few of the new trains are running so far but 26 are more on the way, replacing the older Acelas, which will be retired.

BOOK EARLY: We booked our Acela tickets about two weeks in advance and scored senior fares (10% discount) of “only” $204 one way from Stamford to Washington DC. Waiting at the station to board I heard the ticket agent startle a younger passenger seeking a ticket to DC by quoting her the same-day walk-up fare of $402 one way. A minute later the helpful agent said she could make the same trip a half-hour later (on the slower train) for half as much.

RESERVED SEATS: Seats on all Acelas are now reserved. But don’t trust the seating chart you’ll see online. When we boarded the train we found our seats faced backwards (not in the direction of travel) and had no window. But a helpful conductor found us better seats right on his phone. Consult a third-party seating chart to make sure you get the seats you want.

If you want the Quiet Car, be aware there’s only one car with 59 seats. Otherwise you’ll be enjoying the “finance bro” across the aisle making deals enroute by phone.

BOARDING ADVICE: The cars on the NextGen Acela are much shorter than the regular trains, so position yourself carefully on the platform to minimize walking once the train arrives. I noticed Amtrak staff at each station helping minimize “dwell time” for the train by getting passengers off and on as quickly as possible.

USE THE RED CAPS: If your train originates at your station, like our return from DC, get priority pre-boarding with the help of the Red Caps. Avoiding the throngs queueing to board is worth a tip, even with reserved seats.

HOW’S THE RIDE?: In a word, spectacular. All the Acelas run no faster than Metro-North in Connecticut, but south of NYC it’s a whole different railroad. True to its promise our train hit 159 mph on the straightaways in New Jersey and the ride overall was very smooth, unlike the 25-year-old Amfleet cars or the 50-year-old Amfleet cars on the slower trains.

SERVICE: Enroute the cabin cleaning staff came around to collect trash and Café Car items were available (credit cards only) from a cart moving between the cars. The Café Car itself looked great with self-serve windows displaying the food items. But there are no tables to sit down, just some counters where you can perch and munch.

The food offerings were “premium” and priced accordingly.

The on-board Wi-Fi was spectacular… truly 5G.

ON-TIME?: Like many Amtrak trains, even the super-Acela tends to run a few minutes late in Connecticut because of Metro-North traffic. We departed about ten minutes late from Stamford but, because the schedule is padded, were on time out of Penn Station NY and arrived early in Washington DC.

IS IT WORTH TRYING?: Yes, at least once. Amtrak has a lot riding on these new trainsets, so try one soon and you’ll see what the future will be like.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: Wires Down on Metro-North Cause Multiple Delays

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Jim Cameron

We take our train service for granted. For the 80,000 daily Connecticut riders on Metro-North the service is dependable and on-time … usually. But not last Thursday evening (June 5), the hottest day of the year (so far), when the overhead catenary power lines were dragged down near Westport. No power means no trains.

What caused the problem won’t be known for a while. Given the heat it might be “wire sag.” Or maybe it was a worn out pantograph carbon shoe (the thing on top of the train that touches the catenary power line.)  Whatever the cause, the results were fast and long-lasting.

Scores of trains were delayed throughout the Northeast Corridor, both on Metro-North and Amtrak. But two were stranded between stations with no power … and no AC. One, an Amtrak train carrying 400 people, got very hot. Because the windows don’t open, people started to get upset according to media reports.

Metro-North trains have long carried emergency water supplies for such incidents, but not Amtrak trains.

Eventually diesel trains came to the rescue (along with local fire fighters), but the delays were far from over … lingering into Friday’s service the next day.

How did passengers on the delayed and rerouted trains make out?  Based on interviews, pretty well given the circumstances and Metro-North’s quick response.

Substitute buses are usually the answer, but at the peak of rush hour (when the incident occurred) most buses were already on their regular runs. It’s not like there’s a fleet of spare buses on standby. And remember … a full Metro-North train can carry 1000 passengers. A bus, maybe 60 (including standees.)

A reporter friend of mine, who lives in eastern Connecticut, grabbed the 5:22 p.m. train from Grand Central to New Haven and, within minutes of departure the hundreds of passengers onboard were warned of problems: the train would terminate at South Norwalk.

There he caught a bus, only to be dumped somewhere in East Norwalk when the driver pulled to a stop and said “I’m done working, everybody off. There’s another bus coming.”  

“None of us knew where we were,” said my friend, eventually paying $120 for a cab to West Haven where he’d parked his car. He eventually got home about 11:45 p.m.

“Everybody was pretty ‘chill’ and patient,” he said, impressed that Metro-North staffers wearing distinctive vests were at the stations directing the throngs. “I’m just glad that Metro-North was doing something,” he said. “The whole experience taught us just how vulnerable we are when things go wrong.”

Another colleague, Paul Murnane from WINS, caught an 8 p.m. train from Grand Central, getting no further than Greens Farms where the platform was jammed with tired travelers. Sure enough, vested railroad staffers directed the throngs down a hill to three waiting buses, which immediately filled up and departed. More buses were promised and quickly arrived. Murnane’s bus even got a State Police escort, arriving in Fairfield at 11:30 p.m.

Again, he says the crowds were patient and well behaved. “It’s hard to have a riot in Vineyard Vines,” he said, commenting on the riders’ summer attire. A 40-year rider of these rails, he too was impressed with the railroad’s response.

Stuff happens on a railroad depending on aging infrastructure. So if you’re taking a train, always have a “plan B”.  And BYO water.

And kudos to Metro-North for their handling of this situation, especially for keeping passengers informed.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.