Quiet Cars arrive on Metro-North in Connecticut

Written by Jim Cameron
Wednesday, 21 December 2011 00:00

More than 10 years ago the CT Rail Commuter Council first proposed the idea of Quiet Cars on Metro-North. They seemed to work just fine on Amtrak, first introduced in 2001 at the request of passengers. Other commuter lines across the U.S. had also adopted the idea, usually to great acclaim.

For the most part, the rules are self-enforced by passengers. Those whose phones start ringing are quickly reminded they are in the wrong car, and they usually move. There have been exceptions, including a celebrated case last spring on Amtrak when a woman was arrested for yacking for 16 hours on her cell phone and refusing to move from the Quiet Car.

Winter on Metro-North

Written by Jim Cameron
Wednesday, 07 December 2011 00:00

It may not officially start until Dec. 21, but winter is already on the minds of Metro-North and its 125,000 daily commuters.

We all remember what happened last year with bad storms, train breakdowns and a month of reduced service (fewer trains and fewer cars).

Well, though I can’t forecast the weather, I can safely predict another tough winter for the railroad and its passengers.

I honestly believe that Metro-North wants to run an all-weather railroad and does all it can to prep our aging fleet of 40-year-old cars. But the old cars’ poor design probably means that more break-downs are inevitable.

Saving money going to NYC

Written by Jim Cameron
Wednesday, 30 November 2011 00:00

With a fare hike coming Jan. 1, and with holiday visits to Manhattan, this is a good time to revisit some money-saving strategies for riding Metro-North:

Buy tickets before fare hike

If you’re sure you’ll use them before they expire, buy 10-trips before Dec. 31, 2011 and you’ll lock in lower fares, avoiding the 5+% fare hike New Year’s Day.

Transitchek

For commuters, see if your employer subscribes to this fabulous service, which allows workers to buy up to $230 per month in mass transit by using pre-tax dollars. If you’re in the upper tax brackets, that’s a huge savings. A recent survey shows that 45% of all New York City companies offer TransitChek, which can be used on trains, subways and even ferries.

Travel: There are apps for that

Written by Jim Cameron
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 00:00

Perhaps no industry has done a better job of adapting to consumer tech platforms than the travel biz. Given the complexity of travel choices and the powerful new handheld devices we all carry, it seems a perfect match. So, here are a few of my favorite apps and sites to make travel a breeze.

Clever commute

This free E-mail and Twitter-based service allows commuters to text each other in real time and describe problems in their train rides on Metro-North. Though some contributors tend to cry “fire,” Clever Commute has on most occasions been faster and more accurate than Metro-North in describing problems on the trains. More info at clevercommute.com

Train time

This Web site and mobile app are Metro-North’s attempt to give riders real-time info on individual trains and their delays. But I’ve found it unreliable, reporting “good service” when trains were obviously delayed. Still, I’ll give the railroad points for trying.

What Metro-North can learn from the Swiss

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 01 November 2011 23:00

Just back from 12 glorious (and outrageously expensive) days in Europe, I have some train tales to tell, and some advice for America’s railroads.

Despite its small size, Switzerland boasts some of the best trains in the world. Not the fastest (that would be France), but certainly the most dependable. Here are a few things Metro-North could learn from the Swiss railroads.

On time means on time

Metro-North defines “on time” as being within five minutes and 59 seconds of schedule, an industry standard in the U.S. When I explained this to a conductor in Switzerland, he laughed and asked “How can a train be late and still be on time?” Exactly. In this tiny country, you can set your watch by the trains coming and going.

What’s in a name?

Written by Jim Cameron
Wednesday, 19 October 2011 09:33

Don’t be too jealous, but as you read this I’m enjoying a rail adventure in Europe … ,almost two weeks of riding some of the fastest and best trains in the world, my idea of a real holiday.

As I prepare my itinerary, I’m struck by how well the Europeans “brand” their service. There is, of course, “Eurostar”, the popular train between London and Paris via “the Chunnel”. There’s also “Thalys” from Paris to Brussels and Amsterdam, and “Lyria,” a super-fast service from Paris to Switzerland using French TGVs.

All of these trains sound a lot more exciting than “Acela,” Amtrak’s best effort at high speed rail. As one-time Amtrak President David Gunn once said, “Everyone knows what Acela is; it’s your basement.”

Amtrak still has some named trains, though they are pale shadows of their historic namesakes: the Silver Meteor and Silver Star to Florida, The Lakeshore Limited to Chicago, The Adirondack to Montreal.

‘Quiet Cars’ arrive on Metro-North

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 20 September 2011 23:00

It’s been more than five years since I first wrote about the idea of “Quiet Cars” on Metro-North. It looks like my persistence has paid off, as the railroad is about to start an experiment with such cars this fall.

The idea originated at riders’ suggestions on Amtrak way back in 2001 on the early morning express from Philly to N.YC. Passengers wanted a place to enjoy a peaceful ride (and maybe a nap) without obnoxious cell phone chatter or loud conversations. The idea was so successful that it was quickly rolled out on other routes.

Conductors remind boarding passengers that the Quiet Cars maintain a “library-like” atmosphere. Cell phones, computers, radios and CD players should be muted. If you need to take or make a call, step out to another car.

9/11 and the trains

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 06 September 2011 23:00

A young reporter called me last week in a panic. He was writing a big story on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and had just realized that our trains are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Really?

I asked him where he’s been for the last nine years as I, and many others, have written over and over again about this issue. “Well, don’t you think the 10th anniversary makes the trains an even more attractive target?” he asked breathlessly. “No,” I said. “Timing’s not the issue.”

After 9/11, when airports were well secured, somebody noticed that we’d by then spent $11 billion improving aviation security, or $9.16 per passenger. In the same time, we’d only spent $115 million on mass transit, or $0.006 per passenger. Why? Because, as someone at Homeland Security so aptly put it, “Trains don’t fly into skyscrapers.”

Is it time to fire Metro-North?

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 30 August 2011 23:00

Is it time to find another operating agency for our commuter trains?

Consider the last year: Winter service reductions, summer strandings in sweltering heat, the M8 cars almost two years late in delivery, abusive and incompetent conductors, arrogant and unresponsive management.

You may not realize that Metro-North is hired by the state of Connecticut to operate our trains. They work for us. Yet they never seem to be held accountable for their mistakes.

Last week there was a very loud “listening session” for Metro-North President Howard Permut, to hear from passengers stranded on July 22, in potentially life-threatening conditions on the hottest day of the year.

Trolleys — riding back in time

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 09 August 2011 23:00

What was commuting like back in the “good old days”? Well, cheaper, slower and with fewer options. Still, we have nostalgia for our grandparents’ travel methods long before families owned cars. Back then, it was all about trolleys.

It’s been 200 years since trolleys first plied city streets. Initially pulled by horses, they were eventually electrified, adding speed and dependability. While we think of streetcars mostly for in-city service, trolleys crisscrossed our state, supplementing the railroads for longer distance travel. It is true that you could travel all the way from New York to Boston by connecting trolley lines; a nickel a ride.

Visit scribd.com/doc/31831932/1900-Trolley-Trips-Through-New-England for a fabulous 1916 timetable showing four routes from New York to Boston, complete with descriptions of the towns.