Over 100 commuters came to an occasionally raucous “Commuter Speakout” hosted by the Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby in Southport last Tuesday night. The event was organized in response to a series of incidents and increasing delays on Metro-North’s New Haven Line. On-time performance on the railroad, which had hovered around 95 percent for many years, fell to 80 percent in February.

“We are well aware of our failure to provide the service you deserve,” said John Kesich, Metro-North’s senior vice president of operations. Also in attendance were ConnDOT Commissioner Jim Redeker and rail administrator Eugene Colonese; Sue Doering, Metro-North’s senior director of service and stations; and Anne Kirsch, Metro-North’s director of safety and security.

The Speakout came one day after Metro-North’s new president, Joseph Giuletti, appeared at a press conference with Governor Malloy, Commissioner Redeker, and MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast. There, the officials promised to deliver a “100-day action plan” to the governor in the coming weeks. At the Speakout, Commissioner Redeker said the 100-day plan would include a safety review, a review of major projects, a new communications plan, and a simpler customer complaint interface.

Riders at the Speakout cited a litany of complaints including broken heaters, stranded trains, missed connections and standing-room-only conditions. But perhaps the most pointed line of criticism came from several commuters and elected officials who said the series of incidents was hurting the state’s economy and reputation. A realtor said that potential clients were mentioning the railroad’s faults. A new resident of Stamford said he had warned friends not to move to Connecticut. And State Senator Toni Boucher (one of several state legislators in attendance) warned that Connecticut has been losing population in recent years and can’t afford to lose any more.

Commissioner Redeker responded that the economic impact on Connecticut was a “sore concern” for him. After Mitch Fuchs of the state Rail Commuter Council took elected officials to task for starving the railroad of funds, Redeker said, “I don’t disagree. We’ve had 25 years of neglect and we’re trying to catch up.”

A report from the Regional Plan Association has identified $3.6 billion in maintenance needed to bring the New Haven Line to a state of good repair. Right now, construction projects often tie up one or two of the line’s four tracks, constraining service and reducing the railroad’s flexibility when incidents occur.

ConnDOT and Metro-North officials made two other public appearances in what became a week of contrition. On Wednesday, Redeker and Metro-North officials attended a Connecticut Rail Commuter Council meeting. On Thursday, the MTA’s Prendergast and Metro-North’s Giuletti appeared with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. Prendergast will brief the state legislature’s Transportation Committee at an informational hearing on February 27.