New Haven Line Trains To Slow In Heat To Avoid Breakdowns
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - The forecast calls for very hot weather this weekend, and Metro-North Railroad is ready, WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported.
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In extremely hot weather, passengers on the New Haven Line might notice the trains slowing a bit around curves and in other areas.
The New Haven Line is unique in that along certain segments it gets power from overhead lines which can sag when the temperatures soar, according to Metro-North spokesperson Margie Anders.
"When the temperature gets high, the old catenary on the New Haven Line tends to droop down, and when it's not in alignment, when it's not taut, it's prone to getting snarled up in the train itself, in the overhead pantograph which is the arm that reaches up and gets the power, which moves the train," Anders told Schneidau.
Anders said the occasional speed restrictions have not affected the on time performance along the New Haven Line.
A project is ongoing to replace the overhead power system on the New Haven Line, but that isn't likely to be finished for another five or six years.
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