The new 5:57 a.m. train rolling out of Waterbury, Conn. yesterday kicked off with much more of a whimper than a bang, reports the Hartford Courant. The good people of Waterbury petitioned the MTA for the early train (the earliest used to be the 6:40), and Metro-North obliged.

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Only problem is, the petitioners don’t seem to be riding the new train.

The new 5:57 seemed almost deserted for much of the trip, with some of its seven cars entirely empty. Conductor Theresa Murdock collected about three dozen tickets between Waterbury and Bridgeport, but predicted many of the usual 6:40 riders will switch when they hear about the early train.

Some 36 riders across seven cars…that’s about five people per car, folks.

Our blogger brethren StationStops says Metro-North’s marketing efforts, or lack thereof, are to be blamed for the lack of riders on the 5:57.

Know what would be a good way to let people know about the train? How about instead of Nickelodeon ads on the posterboards on the train, they put up a notice letting people know THERE IS ANOTHER TRAIN AT 5:56 STARTING APRIL 7th AND ITS NOT CROWDED!

I think that would work pretty good.

Or how about this - while she is collecting tickets on the 6:40, the conductor lets everyone know about the new 5:56 train starting on April 7th ?

[photo Michael Kodas/Hartford Courant]