Metro-North touts “best first quarter ever”

MTA Metro-North Railroad said Friday its systemwide on-time performance was 98.8% during the first quarter of 2012, claiming it was "the best quarter in Metro-North's history."

“A continual focus on providing the best service possible, a mild winter, and an increasing number of new M-8 rail cars in service on the New Haven Line were among the many factors” contributing to the performance, Metro-North said.

The railroad also said it had “four 100% days” so far this year on its East of Hudson service, which include the Hudson and Harlem lines in addition to its New Haven Line, itself part of the Northeast Corridor.

“I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to all the employees who have worked so hard to provide our customers with such excellent service. It’s no wonder why our ridership continues to surge,” President Howard Permut said.

During the first quarter, Metro-North had only one day (January 19th) when OTP dipped below 95%, and 59 days out of 91 when it was at 99% or above. By month, system-wide on-time performance was: January, 98.9%; February, 98.8%, and March, 98.8%.

On its website, Metro-North parent Metropolitan Transportation Authority notes, “By national industry standard, a commuter train is considered on time if it arrives within [five minutes and 59 seconds] of its scheduled arrival time.”