The other day, a Metro-North train blew past its scheduled 8:04 p.m. stop in Westport. A few dozen riders had to get off in Fairfield, then wait for the next westbound train to go home.
If you were on that train, you were probably pretty pissed.
If you’re a regular on Railroad.net, you’re upset too.
But some of the commenters there — a website for train geeks — are not mad at Metro-North.
They blame the victims: Westporters.
Noel Weaver writes:
A train blew a station stop, SO WHAT!!!! It is not the first time and it won’t be the last time. I suspect if it had been say Fordham on an evening train instead of Westport nothing would have been said…
I blew a couple of stops in my career and in both cases nothing further came of it. I am human like everybody else.
Another commenter (“Rear of Signal”) chimes in:
This happens often enough that it’s not unheard of, but still rare. You know how often trains blow Yankee Stadium, or FF-Metro or even blown Stamford?
This one makes the news because some influential people call the local media in a hypocritical attempt to negate their own vanity. Everyone needs to get off of their moral high-horse and get on with their lives.
A train crew blew past Westport earlier this month.
Not all the commenters are so black-and-white. (Or as harsh as those who demand the entire crew on that train be fired.)
“Secaucus Junction” says:
You know, if I was an engineer, I think this sort of thing would happen to me too. It’s got to be confusing out there remembering which stops you are supposed to make when you are on different trains all the time. Maybe a simple brain fart by the engineer.
Which brought this response:
It’s pretty hard to miss Westport. The track speed in the station is only 40 MPH. Both the engineer and conductor are responsible for ensuring that trains stop where they’re supposed to. But, do we know if the train was on a platform track? Or, could it have been misrouted? I’m sure (Metro-North) will investigate this incident, especially since it has hit the newspapers.
And this:
I was on that train. Leaving South Norwalk, conductor announced “Westport next.” We blew through Westport without the slightest speed reduction. No announcements, no attempt to stop in Greens Farm or Southport.
Maybe the train got hijacked?
At Fairfield the was almost a riot when we finally stopped. We were told that the next train back to Westport would be in 45 minutes. Nothing further, no apology, no real acknowledgment of a serious screw-up….
This was completely inexcusable. The fact that the train crew kinda sorta pretended it didn’t happen makes it worse.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I don’t work in the field so I don’t know what it’s like. Whatever. MNRR has a problem.
Part of that problem, it seems, is that a few employees don’t think too highly of their customers.
