Metro-North Service Changes For Thanksgiving Weekend

The Metro-North Railroad is providing special service and extra trains throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Off-peak fares will be in effect on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 25, and customers can take advantage of free parking at many stations.

Customers are encouraged to buy tickets in advance, and those traveling into Manhattan can purchase a 10-trip off-peak ticket to save 30 to 40 percent off the one-way fare. The 10-trip ticket can be used by more than one person, even when you are traveling together. The Family Fare costs $1 per ticket for up to four children (ages 5 to 11) when they are traveling with a fare-paying adult.
A Thanksgiving weekend timetable is available at Grand Central Terminal and outlying stations.

Customers can also find East of Hudson holiday schedule information online here. West of Hudson holiday schedule information is available online here.

Wednesday, Nov. 21, the Day Before Thanksgiving

Historically, the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year for Metro-North customers. On Wednesday, Nov. 22, there will be 18 early getaway trains that depart Grand Central Terminal during the mid-day. The extra service includes five extra trains on the Hudson Line between 1:38 p.m. and 4:11 p.m., three additional trains on the Harlem Line between 2:15 p.m. and 3:34 p.m., and ten extra trains on the New Haven Line between 12:58 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Times are shown in the current timetables. Due to the busier mid-day travel patterns, some evening trains may be canceled or combined, so customers are advised to double-check timetables, apps or web before traveling.

For West-of-Hudson customers, early getaway trains will operate on both the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

On the Port Jervis Line, the 2:41 p.m. train from Hoboken to Middletown (with a connection departing New York Penn Station at 2:33 p.m.) is extended to Port Jervis. The 6:15 p.m. departure from Hoboken (6:03 p.m. train from Penn Station-NY) will not operate.

On the Pascack Valley Line, there will be a 2:58 p.m. departure from Hoboken (with a connection departing New York’s Penn Station at 2:51 p.m.) making select stops in New Jersey before arriving at Pearl River, Nanuet and Spring Valley. To accommodate this train, the 5:58 p.m. departure from Hoboken (5:51 p.m. connection from Penn Station-NY) will not operate.

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22

Metro-North will provide additional inbound morning service for customers heading to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which kicks off at 9 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West and ends in front of Macy’s at Herald Square (34th Street). There is also expanded outbound service starting in the late morning and continuing through mid-afternoon. Customers leaving New York after the parade must show a ticket before boarding trains at Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street Station. On this day last year, about 30,000 customers departed Grand Central between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Finally, there will be extra trains in the evening for customers returning to New York City after their Thanksgiving feasts.

West of Hudson, a regular holiday/weekend schedule is in effect for the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line, with one additional round trip on the Port Jervis Line (shown in the October 29 NJ Transit timetable). Parade-goers can take a 6:22 a.m. departure from Port Jervis arriving in Hoboken at 8:30 a.m. (a connection at Secaucus Junction arrives at New York Penn Station at 8:39 a.m.). After the parade, there is a 12:21 p.m. departure from Hoboken (12:14 p.m. from New York Penn Station) that operates express to Suffern before making all stops to Port Jervis.

Friday, Nov. 23, the Day After Thanksgiving

On Friday, Nov. 23, Metro-North will operate on an expanded Saturday schedule with additional inbound service in the morning and outbound service in the afternoon to accommodate the Friday workforce and Black Friday shoppers, as well as half-hourly service on the Harlem Line to/from North White Plains.

West of Hudson, a regular weekday schedule is in effect for Friday, Nov. 23.

Saturday and Sunday (Thanksgiving Weekend)

Metro-North will round out the holiday weekend schedule with extra trains and additional cars on existing trains. Service on Saturday, Nov. 24, features upper Hudson and outer New Haven Line Shoppers’ Special service. On Sunday, Nov. 25, trains run on a normal half-hourly schedule featuring outer New Haven Line Shoppers’ Specials.

A regular weekend schedule is in effect on Saturday, Nov. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 25, for the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line.

Off Peak & Family Fares in Effect Thursday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 25

Customers are encouraged to buy tickets in advance, and those traveling into Manhattan can purchase a ten-trip off-peak ticket to save 30 to 40 percent off the one-way fare. The ticket can be used by more than one person, even when you are traveling together. The “Family Fare” costs $1 per ticket for up to four children (ages 5 to 11) when they are traveling with a fare-paying adult. Metro-North recommends customers use MTA eTtix®, the mobile ticketing app that enables you to purchase one-way, round trip, ten trip, weekly and monthly passes, as well as reduced fare tickets, child and family fare tickets and military tickets, on your smartphone or mobile device.

Get Patch’s daily newsletters and news alerts right in your inbox. Find and “Like” Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages.

Photo credit: Michael Woyton/Patch Staff.