October 31, 2012

GOV. MALLOY ANNOUNCES NO FARES FOR CONNECTICUT METRO-NORTH COMMUTERS THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

Rail Service between Stamford and New York's Grand Central Terminal To Resume Thursday Morning; Shore Line East Service will also Resume Thursday

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced today that commuter rail service between Stamford and New York's Grand Central Terminal will resume Thursday morning, following just three days of suspended service as a result of the damage and havoc caused by Hurricane Sandy. The Governor has also waived all rail fares for Thursday and Friday's Metro-North rail service making rides into Grand Central free for the next two days.

The Governor cautioned commuters, however, that this limited service represents roughly half of normal weekday service and to plan accordingly and to work from home if at all possible. This limited service applies only to trains that originate in Stamford; not, for example, a train that normally originates in New Haven and stops in Stamford, and then proceeds to Grand Central.

"Returning to normal service between Stamford and New York so quickly is a testament to the incredible, around-the-clock work by hundreds of dedicated Metro-North workers and I want to personally thank them," said Governor Malloy. "At the same time, I want to thank our commuters, who rely on this service on a daily basis, for their patience and understanding. In the wake of the devastation by this storm, this is a significant accomplishment."

Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker applauded Governor Malloy's move to waive rail fares for the next two days: "Eliminating the charge for commuters is the right thing to do for the limited service that is available and for those commuters that have been inconvenienced by the lack of available rail service into New York. At the same time, we'd rather make this limited service more attractive for the next two days to help alleviate or minimize motor vehicle traffic entering the city." New York has also initiated a similar waiver of rail fares for Metro-North customers bound for the Stamford Transportation Center.

The Stamford-New York service represents some 52 percent of the daily New Haven Line Service. Metro-North and the Connecticut Department of Transportation are also evaluating some interim express bus options for the east end of the line and the return the entire system - from New Haven to Grand Central - to full service as quickly as possible.

Shore Line East commuter rail service, between New Haven and New London, will also resume Thursday morning. In addition, Amtrak will begin operating some limited service between New Haven and Springfield, and between Boston and Washington DC.

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For Immediate Release: October 31, 2012

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