Metro-North's New Haven rail line is disrupted this morning because of a failed commercial power cable. At the state's emergency operations center in Hartford on Wednesday, Governor Dannel Malloy said it could be weeks before Metro-North is back to full strength.
In the meantime, Malloy says Metro-North will be running at about a third of the normal ridership while repairs are underway. He's urging Connecticut commuters to consider alternatives. "Folks, plan on long-term lack of service," he said Wednesday, "or being underserved. To the extent you can stay home in the next couple of days and telecommute, that would be a good idea." Malloy also encouraged carpooling.
"I am sincerely hopeful that we'll have more and better information to deliver," Malloy said, "but there is a worst-case scenario that would require this to go on for an extended period of time."
There is limited bus and train service today. New Haven Line tickets will be honored on the Harlem Line. Bus service will be provided on the Waterbury branch, and limited shuttle train service will operate on the Danbury and New Canaan branches. Click here for a special limited service Thursday schedule during the power loss.
A Con Edison high-voltage feeder cable in Mount Vernon, New York that supplies traction power to the line's electric fleet failed early Wednesday, according to the Associated Press and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. DOT said Metro-North is working with Con Edison to establish alternative power sources to serve the New Haven Line. In a statement, Con Edison apologized for the disruption, and said repairs like this usually take two to three weeks.
The power problem is also affecting Amtrak service. The Acela Express will not operate today between New York and Boston, the Associated Press reports. Regional service will operate using diesel power.
