53°
New Haven Line service has been disrupted since a electrical feeder cable broke early Wednesday morning in Mount Vernon, N.Y., severing power to Metro-North trains through that area.
“This will be a substantial disruption for a substantial period of time," Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a news conference from Hartford. “We are hearing estimates as long as three weeks.” (Read more about Malloy's press conference here on The Daily Voice.)
Metro-North has set up extremely limited service for the Thursday rush-hour commute. "This kind of service disruption is a clear disruption of daily lives of our commuters," Connecticut Transportation Commission James Redeker said of the line's estimated 125,000 daily riders. (For the schedule, click here.)
"Again, it's a very limited train service," Redeker said. "About 30 percent of the total volume of seats will be offered throughout the day."
The service plan is so complicated that Metro-North has released a PDF map of options. (See attachment below or visit this website.) A version of the usual red brochure with the schedule for Thursday is available here.
Commuters are advised to drive, use car or van pools, telecommute or travel from a train station along the Harlem Line in New York State. Those who brave the New Haven Line should brace for delays, disruptions and crowded trains.
Here are the details of the New Haven Line train service, beginning Thursday morning, using a combination of electric-powered trains and diesel-powered trains. This will be the schedule until further notice due to the loss of the Con Edison feeder that supply traction power to the line's electric fleet:
For AM peak service to Grand Central from New Haven to Stamford, train service will be provided every 20 to 30 minutes and will connect with:
- Limited diesel train service from Stamford operating directly to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central Terminal
- Limited local train service every 20 to 30 minutes from Stamford through Rye Stations; connecting with express bus service to White Plains Station for Harlem Line train service to Grand Central
From Harrison to Grand Central Terminal service will be provided as follows:
- Limited local train service every 20 to 30 minutes from Harrison through New Rochelle Stations and operating directly to Fordham, Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central Terminal
- Bus service from Pelham and Mount Vernon East to Mount Vernon West for Harlem Line train service
From Grand Central:
- Limited diesel train service will be provided every 30 to 40 minutes from Grand Central Terminal and making all local stops to Stamford; with hourly connections at Stamford for train service to New Haven.
For off-peak service to Grand Central:
- Hourly shuttle service between New Haven (departing every 45 minutes after the hour) and Stamford with local train service operating every half-hour between Stamford and Grand Central Terminal.
For off-peak service from Grand Central:
- Train service operating every half hour (:04 and :34 after the hour) out of Grand Central making all local stops to Stamford with hourly connections at Stamford for train service to New Haven.
For PM peak service from Grand Central to Stamford/New Haven:
- Limited service from Grand Central direct to Stamford with connections to New Haven provided every 20 to 30 minutes.
- Harlem Line Service to White Plains Station with express bus service to Rye Station for local train service between Rye and Stamford operating every 20 to 30 minutes
From Grand Central to Harrison:
- Limited train service from Grand Central to New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Harrison Stations
- Harlem Line train service to Mount Vernon West for Bus Service to Pelham and Mount Vernon East Stations
Bus service will be provided on the Waterbury branch and limited shuttle train service will operate on the Danbury and New Canaan branches.
Please visit www.mta.info/mnr for complete schedule information.
This is the second major service disruption in less than six months on Metro-North's New Haven Line. Service was suspended in May at the Fairfield-Bridgeport border for about a week after a Metro-North train derailed at the height of evening rush hour and hit another commuter train. More than 70 people were injured in that crash, and more than 2,000 feet of track was destroyed.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
