I ran across this interesting discussion about rail service along the NorthEast corridor and thought some New Rochelle residents might find it interesting:
What most riders don’t understand is that the New Rochelle to New Haven segment of the NE Corridor is owned and controlled by Metro-North Commuter Railroad, not Amtrak. And it is hardly a secret that, since its inception in 1983, Metro-North dispatchers have basically treated Amtrak like second-class trains. Similar to the relationship that MBCR and CSX have on the Worcester Line, but far worse. And, IIRC, only ONE of the three tracks between New Rochelle and New Haven is rated for Acela speeds, further complicating the issue.
Having ridden Amtrak between Washington, New York and Boston numerous times over the past 20+ years, I can assure one and all that it is highly likely that an Amtrak train entering MNCR track at New Rochelle could be subject to at least a 30 minute delay, depending upon the time of day. Amtrak trains departing New Haven are often subject to the same delays, but they’re generally “tacked on” to the station stop and, thus, are less noticeable to the passengers.
And, in all fairness to Metro-North, I suspect the Amtrak conductor’s comment was made out of pure frustration and not because the train was truly “forgotten”. I’ve heard similar comments uttered over the PA when encountering even minor delays on Metro-North track.
Is this related to a New Rochelle City Council Decision?
Amtrak owns the land near the Home Depot development and I remember the City not wanting to have Amtrak use that area as a train stop because of the development. They convinced Amtrak to use the Metro-North Station. Apparently there was no discussion of the ramifications of the decision.