Metro North’s new president told state regulators this week that the rail operator would detail a 100-day plan to improve its safety and customer service once a review by the Federal Railroad Administration is complete, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s office said.
The promises come after months of criticism from elected officials and the public over a period of service delays in the fall, followed by a December derailment in New York that killed four people.
Metro North hasn’t yet finalized the plan, or detailed how it would pay for the changes within it, but recently appointed President Joe Giulietti said they would include the creation of a new safety department that includes units for data analysis and incident investigation, as well as a detailed study of performance and running times of the New Haven line. Metro North also plans to hold more public meetings with customers.
“This plan requires returning to the basics of good railroading,” Giulietti wrote in the March 3 letter to state Bureau of Public Transportation Commissioner James Redeker. “First and foremost, however, we must rebuild a culture of safety at Metro North to serve as the railroad’s unshakeable foundation.”
Malloy said he appreciates the letter, but was disappointed it did not contain more specifics.
“I understand the constraints that Metro-North faces because of the FRA investigation, and while the letter is certainly a roadmap to better and safer service, riders need to know that there is a plan with benchmarks and deadlines in place,” Malloy said in a statement.
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