CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: December 5, 2014

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Comments

On Metro-North On-Time Performance

On November 17, 2014, Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker requested that Metro-North President Joseph J. Giulietti provide a detailed evaluation of New Haven Line on-time train performance by December 1.  In that request, the Commissioner agreed that the railroad’s principle goals must be a safe operation and a well-maintained infrastructure.  He also requested an action plan to achieve 95% on-time performance on the New Haven Line.

The reply from Metro-North fell short in terms of detail and proposed actions. Connecticut has provided all the capital and operating resources identified by Metro-North and its consultants to address the safety and infrastructure needs of the New Haven Line. Commissioner Redeker said, “We expect reliable service to be provided. Even if the railroad cannot commit to a specific target, it should be able to provide an action plan for continuous improvement of its performance.’

Commissioner Redeker has had several conversations with President Giulietti since receiving the initial response and is heartened by Mr. Giulietti’s commitment to efforts to improve the partnership with Connecticut DOT. In that spirit, he again has asked Metro-North to develop a transparent action plan for its best efforts to improve the service to the customers of the New Haven Line.