| Issue 53 | September 29, 1995 |
Tales from Two Railroads: Metro-North Woos Drivers...
Metro-North Railroad will increase the number of rush-hour trains on its New Haven Line in October, railroad officials announced last week. The expansion responds to growing ridership, especially reverse commuters riding out of Grand Central to Stamford and Greenwich, who increased 12% over the last year. The Southwestern Area Commerce & Industry Association says the increase is largely a transportation mode shift. Association vice-president Joe Ercolano says the increase stems from "a shift from car to train" rather than job creation. The expanded service approved for October includes an additional morning express from New York City, an 8:46 a.m. westbound train out of South Norwalk, and additional stops on other trains. Westchester Transit also reported a ridership increase recently. Transportation Commissioner Jospeh Petrocelli attributes some of the growth to the Employee Commute Options (ECO) program. Shuttle routes serving office parks implemented in 1993 recorded a 17.8% rider increase over the last year. ...LIRR Commuters say Worst of Times
A recent Long Island Railroad riders survey says that for the first time in four years, overall quality of LIRR service is declining. Passengers polled by the LIRR Commuter's Council in May and June named on-time performance, service frequency, and seat availability as top complaints. LIRR officials said the poll was highly subjective, since on-time performance actually increased over the past year. And despite the lower marks, ridership is up (hence complaints about crowding). The railroad says it cannot run more trains now because Jamaica Station and the East River Tunnel are at capacity. The Advocate, Passenger Transport, NY Times
