Metro North

Metro North is extremely lucky that they’re the only or «easiest» form of public transportation from Westchester county or Connecticut into Manhattan. If they weren’t they’d go out of business.
About every 6 months to a year, they raise the price of round trip tickets into the city. That wouldn’t bother me too much if it was worth it. More than 50% of the trains that I take into Manhattan are delayed, but the conductor still manages to come bay and punch out your precious ticket, no matter how late the train is.
I’m positive that the price for this horrible service will keep going up and up and no one can do anything about it because they need it to get to work.
Aren’t monopolies illegal?

This rail line is as bad the counterpoint the Long Island RR. It is Always late even with the 6 minute cushion they build into to declare on time stats. That’s right if they are 5 minutes and 59 seconds late after the schedule time the declare they are on time … Utter bullcrap! If you are late you are late. With the fares constantly being raised the trains and stations are still filthy, the management in Grand Central Terminal are also the rudest people in the world. They have no concept of customer service… Thank god the conductors and ticket window staff are pleasant… I rather take the subway

I take the metro north from westchester to NYC and it is ALWAYS LATE. It never gets to the station at the time the schedule says it will. As a matter of fact, I am sitting at the Harrison station right now and it is so far TEN minutes late. Sometimes it’s up to 20 minutes late. And delays are an EVERY DAY thing. What the fuck? I wish there wasn’t such a monopoly on commuter trains cause if there was another train company that ran from my town to NYC, I would GLADLY switch. They are horrible. Don’t they know that even a delay of five minutes (which is more the norm than the exception) affects people’s lives and plans and JOBS.

i wish i could give the metro north zero stars because of kevin fatass kramer!!! he is a real disrespectful loser who deserves to be fired, he does not know how to speak to guest i don’t know how he is still employed!!! he needs to learn some etiquette skills and stop being combative with paying customers!

Worst. Only bridge and tunnel morons find metro north to be a comparable alternative to nyc subway. I moved from Brooklyn six months ago to Westchester and let me tell you — trains are NEVER on time, riders are incredibly rude and un-​urbane, and you cannot get home if you hang out in the city after hours. If you like morons, crazy-​rude middle aged white men, and a gain schedule full of lies, then by all means, move to a community serviced by Metro North. The passengers dress and look like shit also.

I picked up the Metro North on Nov 12 @8am going to Grand Central station .
I got on the wrong train. I wanted to get on the 8:19. I am a cancer survivor in remission. I showed Peter W my ID and Medicare card. I thought the train was off peak. I had no problems paying my fare .
The conductor Peter W started yelling and screaming at me, for no reason and said get off the train in a disrespectful manner .
For god sake am a cancer survivor in
remission .
People are just crazy and don’t know how to talk to people .
The conductor Peter W started just screaming and yelling over the intercom .
I started talking to a gentleman sitting in from of me. The passenger turn out to be a detective he heard the conductor yelling and screaming also. So I asked him for his card. The passenger who is a detective gave me his business card .
I will be reporting this conductor .
The MTA should be ashamed of them selves to have some one like him dealing with the public. Unacceptable .
Be ware of this conductor he has problems with people and angermanagement problems. I have never had any problems with a conductor on the New Haven line except this guy .
I save all my receipts for proof to show I pay on the train with no problems.

The worst. The worst communications in the world. Zero. Zero stars is what they deserve. Get to New Canaan station and no information on how much off the schedule travel would be today. Buses provided but even the poor bus drivers had to deliver the news that «this bus will not get you to Stamford in time as the schedule indicated». Make matters worse. Drive down to Stamford station. And what do we find??? No Parking in structure! REALLY! So what else… go park next door at the usury rate of $ 25! Dang we got ya! It is a travesty. And the Connecticut Dept of Transportation should be ashamed of allowing this to happen. But guess what: they could care less.

Wow. This Allison Lester in Customer Service for the Metro North was a nightmare! The conductors and the agents were all nightmares… They certainly practice the same round-​about and avoidance tactics as Time Warner Cable! Do not try and get a refund, because you will swimming to no where.
Ms. Lester first gave me the most general, of general phone numbers to reach her (511). After finding an agent to speak to, I was again given another automated phone number to call, with multiple transfers. Finally, I reached Ms. Allison in response to her email. I complied and gave her the information she requested. However, I was then quickly insulted and interrupted and told I would not get a refund because the documentation (photos of the receipts + my formal written statement) was not enough. She also then tried to sell me the idea that I got a free ride! After I asked all the right questions, she needed the names, and the IDs of the all the conductors and agents with whom I spoke to. I’m sure if I had that, I would then be asked for their addresses, cell phone numbers, emails, and social security numbers as well! With all the documentation I submitted I still wasn’t able to get my refund of $ 11.50! Then I was given some long story about how they’re audited and need to show proof, etc, etc. The proof is in all the documentation that I gave, the formal refund I submitted, the emails, this very phone call (supposedly being recorded). What more did they need? She could have just tell me, «Hey, I’m sorry, the MTA is really broke and we need that $ 11.50, probably more than you do.» Instead, I got the beat around with hellish customer service over the phone. I wanted this refund out of principle, it was simple! They’re lucky they’re the only fast mode of transportation north! It’s unfortunate that no one is being held accountable for any kind of proper service. I hate the very lazy American mentality that nothing happens until there are enough complaints.

Its great that I have a convenient clean safe way to get to work and NYC in general. The only reason I give it 3 stars is because of how cold it is on almost every train. They blast the AC and there are vents surrounding you everywhere! Especially on your face. Yes, cold frigid air on your face. It’s unnecessary. People are sneezing, many of us women bring something to try and cover ourselves. Its its also the worst if you have a summer cold. It just cant be healthy.

I am on the 9:25 train on the Harlem line. I found a seat that was locked at the back of the train. Normally, conductors open the seat when they get to check my ticket. This particular conductor, a woman, and I only say this because that’s all I remember, rudely told me to take my belongings and find another seat as that section was used for opening and closing doors. If that is the case, there should be no seat in such areas.
I pay Metro North to have a seat. It is my choice to sit in a packed area or not. In my humble opinion, a conductor should «conduct» herself in a manner becoming of a Metro North representative. At the end of the day, paying customers are what makes this train run, not rude conductors.
Date: 4÷21÷2015
Line: Harlem
Train: 9:25 PM

The last 5 times I took this train something went wrong. People take the trains that are on a strict schedule. I understand safety is the number 1 concern, but it seems that the decisions they make are just ignorant. They have a lot of control of people’s lives. Some jobs if you are late you no longer have a job. If the trains are not safe enough to ensure that the schedule is kept they should take all that money they are raking in and spend it on a safe and precise system.

I called the MTA office and got the rudest people to talk to. I went through about 3 people and the last person was finally nice. Really ruined my day. Other than that I’ve been riding MTA since I was young. Prices are ridiculous now though, wish they went down occasionally. Never had any train accident or anything. Trustworthy to me in that sense. Conductors I have met ion my lifetime on the train have all been super cool and nice. Trains seem to always be clean, the only thing confusing is when a certain stop requires you to move up or down certain karts. Very stressful for me because I always think I’m going to get left behind lol.

Generally just «Ok» service. Customer service is 90% automated, trying to get refunds is a nightmare. My advice is purchase tickets with AMEX and call them for refunds as needed. Frequent service interruptions, late trains, no timely announcements, unreliable as a mode of transportation if a tight schedule is kept. Haphazard and random «out of service» notifications during rides, forcing you to switch from an express train to a local adding 30 min to your commute just because. Outdated technology, dirty trains, antiquated punch-​card system, no discounts on one-​way vs. round-​trip ticketing and get this: tickets can actually EXPIRE! even though you paid for it full price. Avoid unless you have no schedule concerns and otherwise have no other choice.

+ On time (most of the times). Nice views of Hudson River. You can have your drink at your train.
— Cars are getting dirtier, conductors just okay and riders are mostly bunch of loud and hungry people.

I love riding the Metro North between New Haven and Grand Central. It’s usually on time for me, the new trains are a great upgrade (though the old ones aren’t bad either), the staff are friendly, and there’s usually plenty of room on the weekends. And my favorite part…
…you can bring your own drinks on the train! Yup, you better believe it. If that doesn’t underscore the awesomeness of America, I don’t know what does. I bring a beer with me no matter what time of day it is… because I can. The bar cars may be gone but I love the ‘carry on’ rule and hope they keep it around.

The train is on time.
The seats are very comfortable & clean.
The staffs are very friendly.
Love the river view, very relaxing. Great way to travel.

Metro North is super fast and effiicent, especially when you’re on an express train to Stamford or Greenwich, the whole system is running smoothly, and you’re beating all the traffic on the roads.
Yes, some of the cars are showing their age, and I’d definitely advise avoiding the on-​board restrooms at all costs, but, all in all, it gets you where you want to go, fast.

I can honestly say I have no real regrets or complaints about the Metro North New Haven line.
Well, that’s not entirely true. When we took the New Haven line up to Bridgeport yesterday to attend a family gathering the platform in Grand Central smelled like vomit, the train cars are old and outdated, but they did have bathrooms. No conductor’s announcements either letting us know what stations we are pulling into and what the next staion is. Better not fall asleep or you can easily miss your stop.
I do have to say that this line is very much on-​time. Even though the train car we were in was a bit old it was clean overall. Also, each seat has electrical outlets which was perfect to charge both my phone and computer heading up there. Might be a newer train but still looked old to me. Coming back we had an even older train with no outlets. Station at Bridgeport was surprisingly clean but kind of plain overall. Plus, Bridgeport is not the greatest area and can have some sketchy characters hovering around late at night.
Overall, this train line serves it’s purpose and runs on-​time.

The MTA pisses me off a lot (as you can see from my reviews of the subway lines) but they are doing something right in regards to Metro North. Although the price of one way tickets have slowly gone up in the 4 years I’ve been using this line, I haven’t noticed the service going downhill (unlike the NYC subway.)
I’m a weekend commuter, and I normally go between Grand Central and New Canaan, CT. Service going to Connecticut is ALWAYS on time. Seriously, I can’t remember the last time we were delayed leaving Grand Central to go to New Haven. Going back to the city, there are sometimes delays, but at most it is 10 – 15 minutes. I like how they are also good in communicating delays when you’re at the station.
They are slowly updating the trains, and I’m loving the new models. They have electric plugs that you can charge your phone or laptop with. The seats are comfortable; however, if you sit where two rows are facing each other, it’s a bit too tight.
Other pros include very nice and informative ticket collectors, being dog friendly, clean stations, good intercom system to hear any messages from the conductor, and the perk of going to and from Grand Central as opposed to Penn Station (oh the horror!) A fan I am!

The Metro North reminds me of the NYC MTA, except it has more seating — and individual seating (unless you’re super close with a friend or significant other) — room for baggage. It costs more than the subway, but it’s still cheaper than Amtrak.
Of course, that’s not much like the MTA, is it. More the New York-​area NJ Transit, Metro North can get you all the way from Connecticut to Manhattan’s Grand Central Station, and points in-​between. Just make sure to catch a local train over an express if you’re going anywhere unusual.