Key People Will Be 'No Shows' at Upcoming Commuter Summit on Metro-North Problems

Editor's note: The following news release was submitted by James Cameron, chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, regarding Wednesday's meeting on problems Metro-North Railroad has been having this winter.

Over a year late in delivery and months behind schedule in testing, the M8 rail cars from Kawasaki are still not in service.

To get answers on the cause of the delays, the CT Rail Commuter Council had invited officials from Kawasaki (the manufacturer) and LTK (the consultant overseeing the testing of the new cars) to its upcoming “Winter Crisis – Commuter Summit” at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Stamford Government Center.

They’re not coming. This is the second time we’ve asked the Connecticut Department of Transportation to bring Kawasaki to our meeting and once again they have refused.

Created by act of the legislature in 1985, the Commuter Council has statutory authority to require the DOT’s assistance in its work. Connecticut State Statute Sec. 13b-212c reads:

"The council may request and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, commission, agency, public authority of the state or any political subdivision thereof such assistance and data as it requests and will enable it to properly carry out its activities for the purposes set forth herein."

When DOT told us ‘No’ last week, I turned to Governor Malloy for help. But the Governor’s staff also declined our request. This is most disappointing.

LTK consulting has received a $27.5 million contract to oversee testing of the M8 cars. They know better than anyone what’s been causing the delays. So why can’t the Commuter Council ask them a few simple questions? Commuters, whose taxes paid their fees, deserve the answers.

We also sent a formal written invitation to Metro-North President Howard Permut to join us and hear from his customers, but we haven’t been given the courtesy of an RSVP. Governor Malloy had no trouble getting Mr. Permut to show up at his office on short notice last week for meetings. But the Governor couldn’t meet the Council’s simple request to get some straight answers on the M8s delays?

The Council’s meeting, including commuter comments and questions, will continue as planned at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Boulevard in Stamford, a short walk from the railroad station.

Created by the Connecticut legislature, the CT Rail Commuter Council’s members are Metro-North or Shore Line East commuters who serve, without compensation, as advocates of their fellow riders’ interests. The CT Rail Commuter Council meets monthly with Metro-North and Connecticut Department of Transportation and testifies before state and regional boards and commissions in favor of affordable, reliable rail service in the state. The CT Rail Commuter Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary of service to commuters.

Information is available at the Council’s website:  www.trainweb.org/ct