Money to improve Metro North infrastructure [WTNH.com]

Article as it appeared on WTNH.com

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)–More money is now being earmarked so Metro North can improve its infrastructure.

“We’ve had it. We’re fed up and we need some changes,” said Rep. Tony Guerrera, (D) Rocky Hill.

From delays to derailments, Metro North had a very bad last 12 months. Members of the legislature’s Transportation Committee are mad as commuters and they’re not going to take it anymore.

“And for a transportation committee and a legislative body that provides two thirds of the the budget for Metro north, we feel something has got to change,” said Sen. Andrew Maynard,(D) Stonington.

Metro North gets a new president in a week or so and lawmakers say one of his first stops must be Hartford.

“And we want to make sure he has concrete goals and to find out what his plan may be for turning Metro North around,” said Guerrera.

The train troubles are not just an inconvenience. Take the electrical outage that caused delays last September.

“You could see the ripple effect in our economy. We had 95 become a parking lot so it didn’t just affect the rail commuters,” said Sen. Toni Boucher,(R) Wilton.

This is happening on the day when the state is starting to do something to make sure that kind of power outage doesn’t happen again. The DOT is installing two new transformers near the Cos Cob station in Greenwich.

These lawmakers also want the federal government to step in.

“They they might be looking at intervening and providing management expertise and also equipment expertise and also some funding,” said Boucher.

If Metro North’s troubles continue, the last resort may be dumping them. The contract is up for renewal next year.