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 SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 MEETING

AT SACIA OFFICES

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

 

 

The meeting began at 7:30 p.m.

 

Present were:  Chairman Rodney Chabot, Vice Chairman Jim Cameron, Bob Jelley, Joe McGee, Ed Zimmerman and Carl Leaman, Members of the Council; Gene Colonese, Phil Wilhelmy, and Jeffrey Watson, Metro North Railroad; Ray Cox, Mike Donnarumma and Harry Harris, Connecticut DOT;  Mark Ginocchio, reporter, Stamford Advocate, A.J. O’Connell, reporter and Scott Crosby and Richard Stowe, members of the public.

 

The Minutes of the June 16, 2004 meeting were corrected, and as corrected, were approved.

 

SECURITY TEST ON SHORE LINE EAST

 

Chris McKay of the Transportation Security Administration reported on the July 19 to August 20 security test on Shore Line East.  He said that the security test consisted of a specially-equipped car on one of the morning Shore Line East train sets, which screened passengers’ bags through an x-ray machine and tested passengers’ tickets or drivers licenses for bomb materials.

 

He said that the Shore Line East test was phase three of a three-phase test.  The first phase consisted of pre-boarding screening of passengers at the New Carrollton station near Washington.  The second phase consisted of screening baggage at Union Station in Washington.  The purpose of phase three was to determine if the screening equipment operated properly on a moving train.  In the course of a month 6,000 passengers and 6,000 bags were successfully screened, demonstrating that the equipment can work on a moving train.   He went on to say that a report would be issued by the end of the year. 

 

Jim Cameron suggested that in his view, successful screening of rail passengers and their baggage was virtually impossible.  He also asked about the cost of the Shore Line East trial and Ray Cox said that there was no cost to the Department of Transportation for the trial. 

 

MAIN LINE ISSUES

 

Rodney Chabot asked if there was any plan to replace windows on the M-4 and M-6 cars.  Gene Colonese said that the M-2 windows had already been replaced, they were now working on the M-4s, and the M-6 cars would be next.  The plan is to replace all windows on a six-year cycle. 

 

Harry Harris reported on the Stamford station taxi surcharge issue.  He said that the $2.00 surcharge was no longer being collected.  DOT will absorb the costs of a scaled-back starter system.  He also reported that there is no longer any waiting list for parking in the Stamford garage. 

 

BRANCH LINE ISSUES

 

 It was reported that the midday trains on the Waterbury branch had been put back on and then taken off again and replaced by buses.  Ray Cox explained that they were continuing to service the morning and evening Waterbury trains during the middle of the day, and had been using Shore Line East train sets for midday Waterbury service.  However, when a Shore Line East train being tested in the middle of the night hit a worker on a crane in East Haven, the locomotive on that train was wrecked.  That, together with other planned maintenance, caused there not to be enough Shore Line East sets to serve the Waterbury branch midday, and therefore buses had to be substituted.  Ray Cox went on to say that DOT was looking to buy used diesel engines from Amtrak. 

 

Jim Cameron reported that Lee Carlson had reported that Shore Line East schedules were missing from most of the Shore Line East stations.  Ray Cox said that he would look into the problem.  [By Monday, September 20, schedules had been replaced in the stations.]

 

In answer to a question, Harry Harris said there was no plan for weekend service to be added to Shore Line East.

 

Gene Colonese reported that over three months there had only been two bus substitutions on the Danbury branch.  Rodney Chabot asked about locked stations on the Danbury branch.  Ray Cox said that the town is responsible for opening the stations.  Rodney said that Danbury and Bethel stations are permanently closed.  Ray Cox said that he would check on that. 

 

A question was raised about the slipping on wet leaves problem on the Danbury branch.  Gene Colonese said that that issue was being looked at and some new solutions would be tried this fall.  He also said that the railroad was planning on better sanding by locomotives.

 

It was reported that there is a problem at the Talmadge Hill station on the New Canaan line of passengers crossing in front of stopped trains.  Ray Cox said that passengers will be ticketed for doing that.  Rodney Chabot said that even though the bumper block had been repaired at the New Canaan station, the debris had not been cleaned up around the bumper block.  Ed Zimmerman raised the question of the need for additional parking at the Talmadge Hill station. 

 

Rodney Chabot raised a question about scheduling a later evening train on the New Canaan branch, and Gene Colonese said that that was being looked at.

 

PURCHASE OF USED CARS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA

 

Harry Harris said that the contract for purchase of cars from the State of Virginia had been delayed, but that he was hopeful that the contract would be signed by the end of October.  He said that after acquisition, work needed to be done on the purchased cars, and that work will go out for bid.  He also reported that one of the unknowns of the cars being purchased is whether or not some of the wheels will need to be replaced.  The usual standard is to replace wheels on cars after 15 years.  These cars are 11 years old and haven’t been used very much.  The State is estimating that 20% of cars will need wheel replacement.  Replacing wheels has an 8-9 month lead time.  Ray Cox said that he thought it was unlikely that any work will be done on the purchased cars until January or February.  He said that if wheels have at least a two-year life expectancy left, they will be not be replaced.  It was also reported that the number of cars being purchased is now 33, rather than 38, because Virginia is keeping 5 cars. 

 

FLEET REPLACEMENT

 

Harry Harris reported that the plan for purchase of M-7 and M-8 cars and construction of new maintenance facilities was now in the hands of the Governor and the Department of Management and Budget.  The estimated price is $1.2 billion.  He said that specifications for an M-8 were being worked on by Bombardier, and that the Legislature would have to approve a sole source contract in order to permit purchase of the cars from Bombardier. 

 

MEET THE COMMUTER DAY

 

Jim Cameron and Rodney Chabot reported that the “Meet the Commuter Day” in Stamford on June 29 was very successful. 

 

CONNECTICUT CONFERENCE OF MUNICIPALITIES

 

Jim Cameron made a motion that the Commuter Council become affiliated with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, and the motion was approved. 

 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

Rodney Chabot was elected Chairman of the Council, and he appointed Jim Cameron as Vice Chairman and Bob Jelley as Secretary. 

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.  The next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 20 at Grand Central Terminal at 6:00 p.m.

 

 

Bob Jelley

Secretary