New Deal on the Long Island

To U.S. commuters everywhere, the Long Island Rail Road has long stood out as the archetype of badly run roads, with topsy-turvy schedules, sooty cars and rough roadbeds. Last week the Long Island added what would once have been two more black marks to its long list of troubles. In the space of three days, two power failures during peak rush hours stranded 112 trains and kept 95,000 commuters waiting up to two hours. But this time, instead of rising up in wrath, most of the passengers took the delays with good grace. On each seat next morning, the Long Island placed a polite note explaining what had happened and what the road had done to repair the damage as fast as possible. Read the note: "Thank you for helping us in a bad situation."

The notes were the latest proof of a new deal for the Long Island's commuters. Under a twelve-year rehabilitation program started by the Long Island Transit Authority, the ugly duckling is sprouting a few swanlike pinfeathers. As a first step, the Transit Authority and the Long Island's bankruptcy trustee, William Wyer, pushed through a needed 20% average-fare increase, then got a 50% tax forgiveness from state and local governments. This year, out of bankruptcy and back in the hands of its parent Pennsylvania Railroad, the Long Island is beginning a $60 million modernization program. Furthermore, under General Manager Thomas Goodfellow, the road set up its first public-relations department to tell commuters how things are going, listen to their complaints.

As it is, oldtimers would hardly recognize the road. The Long Island has ordered 222 air-conditioned coaches worth $24 million, already put 30 in service; another 95 cars have been completely rehabilitated; 605 more are scheduled for overhauling. Some 56 stations have been repaired and painted, roadbeds improved, car repair shops modernized for more efficient operation. Better yet, commuters are beginning to get on-time service, and the road has added 60 trains for shoppers and midafternoon travelers.

By last week, both the financial and equipment improvements were showing results. On the balance sheet, the Long Island proudly reported that after years of red ink it showed a solid $731,710 net income for the nine months since September 1954. Parent Pennsylvania, owner of the Long Island Rail Road stock, will take no profit, instead will plow it all back into the modernization program.

Across Long Island Sound in Connecticut, President Patrick McGinnis of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail Road got no bouquets from commuters:

P: An irate group of Fairfield County, Conn. commuters led by Manhattan Executive John Orr Young (cofounder of Young & Rubicam advertising agency) announced a plan for New Haven riders to buy one or two $36 shares of New Haven stock apiece, then pool their shares at the next annual meeting with the idea of challenging McGinnis as president.

P:Commuter Norman Cousins, editor of the Saturday Review, fired off a formal protest to the Interstate Commerce Commission and the New York Public Service Commission listing six specific complaints against McGinnis' operation of the New Haven. Among the charges: trains are so dangerously crowded that passengers must ride in the vestibules; engineers exceed the speed limits trying to make up time lost in slow loading procedures; McGinnis' claim of 89% on-time performance is untrue as far as commuter trains are concerned. By Cousins' own count, only six of 30 trains were on time during one month; most were delayed, some as long as 90 minutes. The New York Public Service Commission promised "an immediate investigation."

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