Talking Transportation: Who’s Running This Railroad?

As we all adjust to the crazy new ticketing rules on Metro-North, it’s an appropriate time to step back and explain the bizarre patchwork of ownership and responsibility that makes our state’s railroads possible. Because, when problems arise, we should know who to blame and hold accountable.

If you’ve ever wondered who’s actually in charge when your train is late, your ticket doesn’t scan, and parking enforcement is already writing you up, congratulations, you’ve stumbled upon the mysteries of Connecticut rail governance.

You may not realize it, but a single train ride on commuter rail in our state may be touched by seven or more different agencies, each responsible for a different part of your ride.

THE RAILROAD TRACKS: Fortunately, the State of Connecticut owns the railroad tracks, signals, power lines and right-of-way from Greenwich to New Haven, the largest section of the Northeast Corridor that is not owned by Amtrak. That gives us more control of “our” trains. But Amtrak owns the tracks, etc., north of New Haven to Massachusetts (aka The Hartford Line) and east of New Haven (Shore Line East) to New London.

THE STATIONS: Here’s where it gets more confusing. Most train stations in the state are owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) but a few are owned by the towns and cities where they are located. In some cases the town owns the station but it sits on CDOT-owned land.

As for who is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the stations, it’s usually the owner but the CDOT contracts with third parties to run big stations like Stamford, New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport. Remember this when you’re slip-sliding on the platform waiting for your train.

STATION PARKING: Parking at the stations is ultimately controlled by the CDOT as they own most of the parking lots. At the big stations with parking structures (Stamford and New Haven, for example) the CDOT hires third parties to run the show. In the smaller towns, where the state owns the land, it may be leased to the towns to operate.

The cost of parking is often determined by the local authorities, in most cases the towns or agents of the the CDOT. On CDOT-owned land the parking is available to all, regardless of where you live. In town-owned lots, rates and even access can be limited to local residents.

Commuter rail may be regional, but parking policy seems aggressively parochial.

THE TRAIN CARS: On the New Haven line, the CDOT owns about half of the railcars with Metro-North (MTA) owning the rest. On Shore Line East and The Hartford Line, the CDOT owns the cars except those operated with Amtrak equipment.

TRAIN OPERATIONS: The CDOT hires Metro-North to run the trains on the New Haven line and branches. The two agencies work under an “operating agreement” the size of a Manhattan phone book and just as readable. On Shore Line East the trains are run by Amtrak and on The Hartford Line some trains are run by Amtrak and others by a state contractor, TransitAmerica.

SCHEDULES: The CDOT tells Metro-North the level of service they want and then works with that agency on how to deliver it (given financial constraints in their state budget). On Shore Line East and The Hartford Line it’s a similar deal, but this time working with Amtrak.

THE FARES: The CDOT sets commuter fares for trains in our state, not Metro-North or Amtrak. The fares usually increase in lockstep: the latest MTA fare hike in New York is soon to be matched by July’s CDOT fare increase.

How does all this work out for you, the rider? How can a single train trip be touched by so many state and local agencies, towns and city departments?

The short answer is … it does work, sort of. But it leaves passengers confused when it doesn’t. If you get a parking ticket at the station, do you think Metro-North is to blame? If your train is running late or overcrowded, who do you call?

Ours is an imperfect system, a relic of decades of bi-state compromises, overlapping authorities, and well-meaning bureaucrats and operators doing their best inside a structure that practically guarantees confusion.

Editor’s Note: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.