The MTA's Response

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the delay to New Haven Line service on July 21, 2004, due to damage to the overhead power lines near New Rochelle.

There is no question that the events of July 21, 2004 led to an extremely trying day for many of our New Haven Line customers and we very much regret the tremendous inconvenience.  Although we made every effort to restore service as
promptly as possible, we recognize that the uncertainty and lengthy waiting time faced by many customers was very frustrating.

We understand completely that many customers will expect compensation when a service disruption occurs that results in a significant delay or prevents them from reaching their destinations as planned.  However, our status as a tax-supported public transportation agency requires that we file and abide by a tariff governing ticket sales and redemptions.  This tariff is approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board and the Connecticut Department of Transportation and is designed to give financial protection to our customers as well as the taxpayers who subsidize the rail service. While these rules allow us to offer regular customers with the greatest discount through monthly ticket fares, these same rules and regulations also prohibit us from issuing monetary reimbursement for train delays and cancellations.

We are sorry that we cannot offer you compensation, but trust that you understand the constraints that prevent us from doing so.  Metro-North does not underestimate the difficulty that the disruption caused our customers, and again, we apologize for the tremendous inconvenience.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the Customer Service Center at 212-672-1290 and a representative will be pleased to assist you.