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Some Metro-North Service To Connecticut To Run At Half Capacity For Monday Morning Rush

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Metro-North commuter train service will be operational for the Monday morning rush from New Haven and Bridgeport, Conn., but only at about half its normal capacity.

As of late Sunday afternoon, crews were still working to remove deep volumes of snow from the yards in New Haven and Bridgeport, and to clear the track switches. About 45 maintenance of way workers from New York City were dispatched to Connecticut to help with the effort Sunday evening.

Two jet engine blowers were put into action for the effort, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

Metro-North Service To Connecticut To Run At Half Capacity For Monday Morning Rush

Crews also must remove snow manually from the roof of each train car to clear the pantographs – the mechanical arms that hook up to the overhead wires that supply electricity to the trains.

"If there's snow on top, those arms are not moving," said Metro-North spokeswoman Margie Anders.

Empty trains will be running up and down the line Sunday afternoon to loosen the wires and pantographs and test the switches. The trains cannot carry passengers due to doubts about the safety of current conditions, the MTA said.

The New Canaan and Danbury branches are expected to operate normally Monday, but the Waterbury Branch – which is only used by 250 people – will not operate at all, the MTA said.

On the Danbury Branch, four of the five regular trains will not operate – including the 6:18 a.m. departure from Danbury.

Several minor changes will also be in place between Stamford and New York. The 6:11 a.m. train from Stamford has been canceled, and customers who usually catch the 7:35 a.m. train from Port Chester must instead take the local train that leaves Stamford at 6:59 a.m.

Some trains that normally stop at Greenwich are not running Monday.

The Haverstraw and Newburgh ferries and the Hudson Rail Link buses are running as usual.

A schedule is posted at mta.info.

The Metro-North Hudson and Harlem lines have been operating on regular Sunday service. The New Haven line has been running normal Sunday service between Stamford and Grand Central Terminal, but remains suspended between Stamford and hard-hit New Haven.

MORE: Traffic and Transit | NJ TRANSIT | MTA | Amtrak

Connecticut was among the hardest-hit areas in the blizzard late Friday and early Saturday, with some areas getting more than 3 feet of accumulation.

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