METRO NORTH NEW HAVEN RAIL COMMUTER COUNCIL

(Established in 1985 under Connecticut Public Act 85-239, now Sections 13b-212b and -212c

of the Connecticut General Statutes)

 

MINUTES OF MAY 18, 2005 MEETING

AT SACIA OFFICES

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

 

The meeting began at 7:00 p.m.

 

Present were:  Chairman Rodney Chabot, Vice Chairman Jim Cameron, Bob Jelley, Carl Leaman, Lee Carlson, Ed Zimmerman, and Joe McGee, Members of the Council; Peter Cannito, Gene Colonese, Donna Evans, Jeff Watson,  and Joe Kanell, Metro North Railroad; James McKenna, MTA Police; Peter Richter and Brenda Jannotta, Connecticut DOT; Sue Prosi, SWRPA; Mary Read and John Read, members of the public.

 

The Minutes of the April 20th meeting were approved. 

 

Chairman Rodney Chabot introduced Peter Cannito, President of Metro North Railroad, who reported on New Haven line operations.  He said that Metro North was currently experiencing its best on-time performance in history.  He said that on-time performance to date in May was 98.7%, and that the performance was good across all three Metro North lines.  He said that the biggest current problem was the eastern end of the New Haven line where, because of catenary work, performance was not as good as on the rest of the system. 

 

He said that ridership on the New Haven line was increasing at the rate of more than 4% per annum despite the recent fare increase. 

 

With respect to new cars for the New Haven line, he said that there was still a question of funding both in New York and in Connecticut.  He said that Metro North has $1 hundred million in its budget proposal to New York State for the first half of New York’s share of new car costs, and he went on to say that he thought the funding issue would be settled in both New York and Connecticut by this summer.  He said that Metro North had hired an engineering firm to draw up specifications for a new M-8 car.  The same firm had been used by Metro North to do specifications for the new M-7 car presently being used on the Harlem and Hudson lines.  He said that the firm was being given 6 months to develop specifications.  He said that no decision had yet been made as to whether or not to use any M-7 cars on the New Haven line. 

 

Mr. Cannito said that at the same time that specifications are being developed, Metro North will advertise for rail car builders, so that they can be pre-qualified.  He hopes to be able to go out with the specifications to qualified car builders in September, and hopes to be able to award a contract for new cars in the first quarter of 2006.  In answer to a question, he said that he expected that the first cars would be delivered 2-3 years after a contract was awarded.  He said that the first new cars would be used for fleet expansion, and that the CSR program (rehabilitation of M-2 cars) would continue.  He said that the program for replacement of the

M-2 cars goes on to 2014, and thereafter would probably continue with replacement of the

M-4’s. 

 

He said that new cars for the New Haven line would be able to operate on all three catenary systems in Connecticut and New York and on third rail. 

 

Mr. Cannito said that Connecticut DOT has just leased from Amtrak 8 locomotives for use with the 30+ Virginia cars. 

 

As for winter operations, Mr. Cannito said that he believed that operations in winter 2005 were better than in 2004.  He said that there was as much snow in 2005 as in 2004.  He said that a lot of work had been done on equipment to weatherproof it.  He said that the rehabilitated M-2 cars had performed well in 2005.  He said that the new M-7’s on the Hudson and Harlem lines had also worked well, so that diesels were able to be released for use on the New Haven line during winter storms.  He also said that the railroad was lucky that the major storm in 2005 was on a weekend. 

 

Mr. Cannito said with respect to winter performance (December – March) in 2004 train length compliance was 74% on the Metro North system and 66.5% on the New Haven line, whereas in 2005 train length compliance was 80% on the system and 73.1% on the New Haven line.  On-time winter performance was 94.7% in 2004 and 96.5% in 2005.  He said the biggest improvement in winter 2005 was the reduction in cancellations:  In winter 2004 there were 545 train cancellations on the Metro North system, of which 285 were on the New Haven line; in winter 2005 there were 167 cancellations on the system, of which 94 were on the New Haven line.  He also said that the railroad’s complaint index was showing improvement. 

 

Having completed his presentation, Mr. Cannito asked for questions.  Mr. Chabot asked whether a decision had been made as to what kind of cars would be used on the New Haven line.  Mr. Cannito said that he prefers “married pairs” similar to the present M-2’s rather than triplets, because the repair shops are designed to handle pairs and not triplets and because with triplets the loss of one car results in the loss of three cars, rather than two.  He said that he did not know whether all wheels would be powered on the new cars, because the specifications will specify performance rather than design.  He went on to say that the procurement of new cars will be a competitive procurement, rather than a negotiated proposal as formerly contemplated. 

 

In answer to a question by Jim Cameron, Mr. Cannito said that he expected the first cars to be delivered in 2008, and that with appropriate money he contemplated the first one hundred cars as additions to the fleet rather than replacement of M-2’s.  He said that he expected that production of new cars would be at the rate of 10 per month. 

 

In answer to a question about the locomotives being leased from Amtrak, he said that they needed to be outfitted with the railroad’s advanced signal systems. 

 

In answer to a question from Joe McGee, Mr. Cannito said that Metro North has a 20 year needs program.  He said that Connecticut has a 10 year funding program whereas New York will fund new cars in two five-year segments.

 

Bob Jelley asked how many car manufacturers were expected to bid, and Mr. Cannito said he expected at least three and probably four.  He said that there may be a “buy American” provision in the contract. 

 

In answer to another question, Mr. Cannito said that the biggest problem with the new M-7 cars is that the seats are a little too narrow, but that the New Haven line can have a wider car with wider seats. 

 

In answer to another question, Mr. Cannito said that he hoped the new M-8’s would provide for wireless internet usage.  He said that Metro North is currently accepting proposals for such service, which would be available to commuters as a subscription service available from the wireless internet provider.  He said that Metro North would also receive communication services from the provider. 

 

With respect to new cars, Mr. Cannito said that if M-8’s replace M-2’s sooner rather than later, fewer M-2’s will have to be rehabilitated under the CSR program, and the money saved can be used for additional new cars. 

 

Mr. Chabot thanked Mr. Cannito for once again speaking to a Rail Council meeting and bringing the council members up to date on Metro North’s performance and plans for the future.  The Council then returned to its regular agenda.

 

APRIL PERFORMANCE

 

Gene Colonese passed out the April 2005 monthly report, which is attached to these Minutes.  Lee Carlson questioned the statistic showing no bus substitutions on Shore Line East, and said that Shore Line East trains had been canceled without any buses being substituted for the canceled trains.  Mr. Colonese said that he would in the future more accurately show Shore Line East cancellations. 

 

Mr. Colonese was asked how “mean distance between failures” was calculated.  He said he would find out.  [He reports that it is the total train miles operated in the period divided by total primary failures.  A primary failure is a mechanical failure that causes a train to be 6 minutes or more late.]

 

Mr. Carlson went on to say that there was no communication at State Street.  Trains simply don’t come, and it remains impossible for evening commuters to find out what is happening. 

 

MAIN LINE AND BRANCH LINE ISSUES

 

Mr. McGee said that he had heard from a commuter from Glenbrook (on the New Canaan line) who wants to connect to the thru Shore Line East train to New Haven, but cannot make the connection in Stamford.  He raised the question whether the schedule should be changed to permit such a connection.  Mr. Jelley suggested that now that reverse commuting in the morning was being treated as peak rather than off-peak, the timetable should be examined to make sure that reverse commuting connections worked.  Mr. Colonese said that from Metro North’s point of view, the bulk of the commuting was into New York, and therefore those connections were the most important. 

 

TALMADGE HILL PARKING

 

Mr. Chabot reported that the Town of New Canaan had plans to use some of the Talmadge Hill parking lots, which are town-owned, for school bus storage.  He said that for the moment that proposal has been stopped, but may reemerge. 

 

CDOT PLANNING STUDIES

Brenda Jannotta reported that the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Study was almost complete.  She said that the Connecticut Rail Station Governance Report would be available soon.  She said that Phase I of the Danbury line reelectrification study was underway, and should be completed by the end of the summer.  She said that a new study of the  Waterbury and New Canaan line infrastructures was underway. 

 

The meeting concluded at 9:00 p.m.

 

The next meeting will be in Stamford, at the SACIA offices on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 at 7:00 p.m.

 

Bob Jelley

Secretary

 

Attachment:  Monthly Report for Connecticut Metro North/New Haven Rail

 

 

\88888888\1005\535647.2