MTA: The Metro-North New Haven Line is Out of Commission Until Further Notice

[hrmjustin]

By Raillan Brooks

Turns out those wires running above train tracks are really, really important. The Con Edison feeder that supplies power to the overhead wire on the Metro-North New Haven commuter rail line went dark yesterday, shutting down the entire train service. Until further notice, the MTA advises that anyone who needs to the Metro North line to get anywhere will have to wait for a replacement power feeder for full line service to restored. Until then, commuters will have available an extremely convoluted but best-we-can-do workaround for a rail service that saw 38.8 million in yearly ridership in 2012. More details after the jump.

All New Haven line tickets will still be honored on the Metro-North Harlem line, but the best the MTA can suggest is that affected riders stay home until the overhead wire comes back online.

To keep up with the impending passenger backlog, the MTA as come up with an elaborate patchwork scheme of busses and commuter trains to get riders where they need to go.

Still, the backup train and bus routes can only accommodate 33 percent of the passenger load of the full New Haven Line service, according to a statement from the MTA. See below for the entire service advisory.

Read more at http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/09/mta_the_metro-n.php

[BeyondGeography]

1. Well, that's a nightmare for a lot of people

Sounds like a 2-3 week deal:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/09/26/long-delays-frustration-for-metro-north-new-haven-line-commuters/

[hrmjustin]

4. Yep! Traffic is going to be horrible.

[leveymg]

2. Self-delete glitch

[leveymg]

3. They should bring back the old diesel trains for a few days.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N38oFRe70rU/Ti6AZE4xmjI/AAAAAAAADtw/ojF6ByN7m_w/s1600/ALCo+diesel+ad+loco-life+21+Feb-1944.jpg

[hrmjustin]

5. I think they still have a few but I am not sure they can use them.

[leveymg]

6. I have fond memories of those. As a kid, they seemed huge and powerful. I loved trains

and the New Haven Line.

I loved the freedom of being able to ride them alone when I was only 11 or 12 and stepping out of Grand Central Station into Oz-like Midtown Manhattan. It was always a thrill. Still is.

[hrmjustin]

7. The have them on the LIRR towards the end of the island.

[leveymg]

8. I've taken that line a few times, but more often we used to drive.

We'd load up two families and dogs into a huge blue Impala station wagon with a 427 cubic inch engine and fly at 100 mph most of the way to the Hamptons or Fire Island. We could get there in a couple hours from Connecticut back then, depending upon which power-mad Dad was driving.

Powerful trains, powerful cars, and power-mad Dads who worked on MadAve.

[hrmjustin]

9. Nice car. I remember them as well.

I never go to the beach but I did as a kid and we took the train out there.

[leveymg]

10. Acres and acres of vinyl inside, and all that sheetmetal. No engine was too big.

The Chevy belonged to our friends. We had a "small block" 326 in our Tempest wagon. Ours was fire engine red with a black interior. I used to take the thing out at night when I was 12 or 13 and teach myself how to drive. There weren't many cops in our little town. Then there was the '67 Mustang fastback with all the Shelby go fast parts when I was 16. It's amazing I survived my teens.


(Butter yellow, but very similar to this - 5 spoke torquethrust wheels and fat tires all around)

[hrmjustin]

11. I don't drive but that car on the bottom must be fun to drive.

[leveymg]

12. Did you ever see the Steve McQueen movie, "Bullit"?

Fun?

[hrmjustin]

13. Great scene. almost makes me want to get a drivers license.

[leveymg]

14. You must live in the City. Who needs a driver's license?

I didn't for the first four years, anyway.

[hrmjustin]

15. I live in Brooklyn. No car needed because i live down the block from the train.

[leveymg]

16. The MTA can be pretty exciting.

[hrmjustin]

17. The trains on time for the most part and are reliable. They are good at warning people

about work on the tracks.