How Not to Run a Railroad

This, on the basis of actual events, was what could have happened to a commuter on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad last week: After scurrying through Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal to catch the New Haven's 5:29 train for Greenwich, Conn., the commuter settled in his seat just as the train pulled out. He did not get far: halfway through the tunnel, the train lurched to a stop, stood there for nearly an hour because its engine had broken down. Next morning the commuter, along with 15,000 others on 24 New Haven trains, was delayed some 40 minutes in returning to his Manhattan job. Fires had broken out in a freight engine in New Rochelle, N.Y., and on tracks at Manhattan's 125th Street station. Going home that night the commuter glanced out the window, discovered that ties on the trestle his train was just crossing at Port Chester, N.Y. were on fire ("Gee," said a conductor, "Look at the fire"). Returning to work early next morning, the commuter was more than an hour late. Reason: another mechanical breakdown on the New Haven.

Across the U.S., in the mass population move from city to suburb, the problem of getting to and from work is at best a fretful one. But nowhere is it more irritating than in New York City, into which about 370,000 commuters pour each weekday by train, bus and car. And nowhere is it more downright infuriating than on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, serving the nation's wealthiest commuter area, only a few years ago one of the best of all commuter lines--and now one of the very worst.

The New Haven's steep decline began in 1954, when a syndicate headed by Financier Patrick B. McGinnis won control of the line. McGinnis promptly cut service and maintenance, issued truculent public statements to commuters, who protested (TIME, Jan. 30, 1956). McGinnis was finally forced out after a bitter commuters' revolt, and into his place stepped quiet, fiddle-playing Lawyer George Alpert --who differs from McGinnis in being more polite.

Last week, citing a survey prepared by the Railway Labor Executives' Association, H. E. Gilbert, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, indicated just how far the New Haven has come under Alpert's presidency. Charging railroad lines in the New York area with deliberately providing bad service to drive commuters away and thereby end a money-losing operation, Gilbert delivered a devastating bill of particulars. Notably excepted was the Long Island Railroad, which has come from a commuter's nightmare to something close to a commuter's dream (TIME, Aug. 1,1955).

Coming in for serious and sharp criticism was the New York Central: "Seats were filthy, windows unwashed, washrooms dirty and unsanitary. Employees often saw roaches and even rats and mice running through the cars."

But as for the New Haven--reported one New Haven trainman to the R.L.E.A.: "[On one train] the water was almost over the laces on my shoes, leaking all over the coach, all running down through the coaches." Reported another: "Cars are allowed to go into service dirty, without water for the public. Passenger trains are normally operated ten to 30 minutes late." Reported a New Haven station agent: "We find now that we board up station windows rather than replace glass. We disregard broken planks in platforms, as there are no planks available for repairs."

Since McGinnis left the New Haven, the line has increased its commutation fares three times, for an overall hike of 40.91%, and President Alpert recently announced that he is after another, averaging 6.26%, effective July 1. At the same time, the New Haven last year cut its equipment-maintenance costs by nearly $4,000,000, its ways-and-structures maintenance by nearly $2,000,000 (the New Haven says partly because of improved methods). The results of using aging, ill-kept equipment are clear for all to see and suffer: the latest monthly figures show that no fewer than 243 New Haven commuter trains ran late in April (for that same month, only 54 Long Island trains were late). And that, by any possible standard, is a hell of a way to run a railroad.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.