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Metro North Service Changes Start Monday

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – New Haven line schedule changes will take effect Monday morning as Metro North struggles to run the rail line with fewer cars.

The commuter agency is attempting to upgrade the fleet and has its mechanics working tirelessly to keep the aging fleet afloat.

The upgrade, however, should have been done a long time ago, Jim Cameron of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council said.

"We're in this situation because we didn't think about planning for our future. This is the equivalent of the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge when lack of bridge inspections caused I-95 to literally fall apart," Cameron said.

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During recent weeks, anywhere from a third to a half of the New Haven line's rail cars have been out of service. To temporarily solve the situation, Metro North is combing some trains starting on Monday so for commuters, it will mean crowded packed cars on shorter trains.

All this might have been avoided, Cameron said, if they had only thought about the future.

"Metro North did not create this problem. It's not their fault that the weather we are having is as bad as it is. It's not Metro North's fault that we are dealing with cars that are older than the passengers that ride them," he said.

Metro North expects the new schedule to be in effect for about a month allowing its mechanics to get a leg up on the workload.

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