Survey Finds Metro-North Customer Satisfaction Dropping

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Metro-North customers have grown less satisfied with the commuter railroad, according to a new survey.

Metro-North's 2014 Customer Satisfaction Survey shows satisfaction dropped overall by 20 points, to 73 percent, compared to a year earlier.

WEB EXTRA: Read The Full Survey

Commuters' biggest complaint focused on late trains, WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported. Fifty-eight percent of customers said they were satisfied with on-time performance, down 28 points from 2013.

"I think commuters will put up with a lot," commuter advocate Jim Cameron told Schneidau. "But if the time table says the train is supposed to arrive at 7:25 and it doesn't show up until 7:40, they are justifiably upset.

"One of the problems is that they measure on-time performance by the arrival time in Grand Central, not necessarily the pick-up time at your station," he added. "So the train may be 10 minutes late at your station, but be technically on time at Grand Central."

Cameron, however, gave credit to Metro-North for owning up to the problem as it tries to rebuild customer faith and trust.

"This year's survey results are sobering but not surprising given the challenges Metro-North has faced during the last 18 months," Metro-North President Joe Giulietti said in a statement. "Our mission is to provide safe, efficient transportation and when we do that, customers are satisfied. We are rebuilding Metro-North and much progress has been made but much more needs to be done. We must and we will regain the trust of our customers."

Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Jim Redeker called the survey "a lot more than a wake-up call for a railroad that has struggled for many months with very big issues and challenges." He has asked Metro-North for a plan to bring on-time performance up to 95 percent.

Ironically, a report issued by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority panel in August accused Metro-North of prioritizing on-time performance over safety.

The report echoed an assessment conducted this year by the Federal Railroad Administration, which investigated after a string of Metro-North accidents including a December 2013 derailment that killed four riders in the Bronx and a May 2013 accident in which two trains collided in Bridgeport, leaving dozens hurt.

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