WATERBURY – The Metro-North Waterbury Line is out of service for an undetermined length of time after an air compressor failed on one of two morning peak trains Wednesday morning, a railroad spokesman said.
Passengers disembarked in Naugatuck and were transferred to bus services that also ran on a delay, Metro-North spokesman Marjorie Anders said.
“Waterbury is a single-track diesel-only, one-direction railroad that operates two a.m. peak trains,” Anders said. “When the engine has a mechanical problem, we have to substitute buses; that’s what happened today.”
She said the buses were running on a delay, but could not say how long.
“Buses never run as fast as trains,” she said. “First of all, you have to get them there.”
The two morning trains usually carry about 180 people, she said.
She said a rescue engine was sent to Naugatuck to bring the disabled engine to Stamford for repair.
She said there is no estimate as to when the train will be repaired and back in service.
As of 1 p.m. bus service was still running in place of the trains.
