(The following article by Mark Ginocchio was posted on the Stamford Advocate website on December 21.)
STAMFORD, Conn. — In its first cold-weather test in nearly a year, the New Haven Line took a hit yesterday, when frigid temperatures delayed trains.
The problems left commuter advocates fearing this winter could be worse than last. The temperature was 10 degrees when commuters started the morning commute and had climbed to 16 degrees by late afternoon.
Metro-North Railroad reported 65 late trains as of yesterday afternoon on the New Haven Line. Most of the delays, which averaged 10 to 15 minutes, were triggered by a power-source switch-over problem at the Pelham, N.Y., station, Metro-North spokesman Marjorie Anders said.
At that station, three morning rush-hour trains had problems switching from the pantograph — an arm through which rail cars draw power — to the third rail, Anders said.
Because of the age of the fleet — many cars on the New Haven Line are 30 years old, 10 years past their life expectancy — switching from pantograph to third rail can be hampered by extreme cold, she said.
“Those pantographs were tucked away last night and when we took them out this morning, they just didn’t want to move,” Anders said.
The troubled transition led to rippling delays throughout the New Haven Line.
“All it takes is one train with a problem and then many more are going to be caught in the congestion,” Anders said. “Plus when it’s very cold, we’re ordered to reduce our speed, wires get taut and brittle, and we have to add more time for boarding because the platforms are icy.”
Beyond the pantograph problems, an early-morning train leaving New Haven station was delayed more than 40 minutes because a signal switch was frozen, Anders said.
The delays recalled problems on the New Haven Line last year, when powdery snow and freezing cold wreaked havoc on the antiquated rail cars. Electrical components were so badly damaged by the weather that many cars were taken out of commission and commuters were forced to crowd on combined and shortened trains.
Because of that, lower Fairfield County legislators are looking for ways to fund a new fleet, which would cost $1.3 billion.
Even if financing plans were to pass, the cars wouldn’t arrive until 2010, which means commuters should be anxious about this winter, transportation advocates said.
“What happened today is just a sign of what’s going to happen for months to come,” said Jim Cameron, vice chairman of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council. “And I can’t blame Metro-North or even (the state Department of Transportation). It’s time for our legislators to deliver.”
Despite comparisons to last year, the commute was not disrupted by snow yesterday because not enough accumulated and because the railroad spent the past few months “winterizing,” which should prevent at least some problems, Anders said.
Many vital components, such as gaskets and valves, were replaced or refurbished and protections were added for electrical systems, she said.