Sneaking up like an on-time 8:20 morning train into Valhalla, the Harlem line was the winner in Metro-North’s 2007 annual customer satisfaction survey. Fully 99% of Harlem line customers reported they were “satisfied” with service, two ahead of the Hudson Line.
What’s surprising is that the Hudson Line, with its scenic river views and longtime stranglehold on the on-time percentage crown, trailed the Harlem Line.
No great surprise over at the New Haven Line, as 88% of those Mamaroneck/Rye/Greenwich types voiced their satisfaction.
All told, the railroad posted a 93% satisfaction level, which Metro-North called a record. President Peter Cannito said the scores reflected customer satisfaction “from the track to the parking lot to the station, on-board the trains and at Grand Central.”
Offered the choices of “not satisfied,” “satisfied” and “very satisfied,” 46% ticked off very satisfied. Furthermore, 88% said the service was the same or better than a year ago.
That’s a bit surprising as well, because according to Metro-North’s own figures, its on-time performance was actually substantially off in 2007. Overall, the railroad was on time 98.2% of the time in ’06 (“on-time” of course meaning within 6 minutes of when it’s supposed to arrive), compared to 97.8% this year. Most lacking of the three lines was, strangely, this year’s top performer in terms of satisfaction. The Harlem line was on time 97.9% of the time in 2007, down from 99.2% in 2006.
Which I guess means Harlem Line riders are simply a lot happier than they were a year ago.