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Riders on Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line couldn't catch a break on Friday. After a day filled with delays, Metro-North reported 10- to 15-minute delays, in both directions, between Stamford and New Haven up until 11 p.m. Friday.
A malfunction on the South Norwalk Bridge was reportedly to blame for the delays. According to the railroad, the drawbridge was stuck open. Metro-North blamed the extreme cold weather for the switching problem.
The bridge also malfunctioned during the morning rush hour, contributing to the 40-minute delays riders experienced.
"The first significant problem occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m. on the drawbridge in South Norwalk," Metro-North said in a statement. "After a required opening of this drawbridge for the United States Coast Guard, ice from the recent heavy snowfall and subsequent freezing temperatures jammed the locking mechanism, preventing us from safely operating trains."
It took crews about an hour to remove the ice and ensure the bridge closed properly. But the troubles didn't end there. Shortly after, several vital switch failures occurred, caused by subfreezing temperatures as well as falling snow and ice from the trains.
"Additional crews were sent to these locations as well, both to clear the switches and deice the switch mechanisms and help get trains through the areas safely," Metro-North said.
Adding insult to injury, six trains later became disabled because of weather-related problems. Those problems seemed to come to an end shortly before 1 p.m., when Metro-North reported delays from the morning were easing.
Did you have any commuting problems on Friday? Did you get stuck on a train? How long did you wait for a train? Leave your complaint below!
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