Metro-North Increasing Service As Commuters Return Post-Pandemic

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The morning commute is back and the Metro-North Railroad is adding trains to help make the trip to and from the office a little less crowded.

Metro-North Railroad announced new train timetables will take effect June 21. The new schedules will reflect the addition of 24 new peak trains on its three lines East of the Hudson River.
The move will bring service to 67 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The railroad has been operating at a reduced 63 percent service since the coronavirus restrictions were put in place more than a year ago.

Officials say an even larger increase in service change is scheduled to start on August 29, just prior to the Labor Day holiday. This planned schedule change will increase service to 83 percent of the pre-pandemic levels during the work week and 70 percent of pre-COVID levels on the weekends.

The steady move in the direction of pre-pandemic service comes as Governor Andrew Cuomo lifted most coronavirus-related restrictions in the region on Tuesday.

On June 1, the railroad set a pandemic ridership record with 94,923 trips taken. Metro-North has seen ridership above 90,000 for five of the first nine weekdays in June.

“We are thrilled to see sustained ridership growth as the region comes back from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi said announcing the new peak travel trains. “Metro-North is increasing service to meet the demand that we are seeing, and we couldn’t be happier to be welcoming so many of our customers back.”

On the New Haven Line, both morning and afternoon peak-period service will increase from 22 trains to 26.

Two Stamford to Grand Central local trains are being added. The first train will operate from Stamford to Greenwich and make all stops to Larchmont and then operate express to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central. A second Grand Central-bound train will operate from Harrison to Grand Central, stopping at Mamaroneck, Larchmont and Harlem-125th Street on the way.

On the Harlem Line, both morning and afternoon peak-period service will increase to 25 trains, up from 21.

In the morning, two new southbound trains will stop at all stations between Crestwood and Mount Vernon West, then Fordham, Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central.

In the afternoon, a new northbound train will stop at Harlem-125th Street and make all stops between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood. A second northbound train will stop at Harlem-125th Street and then will operate as an express train to Crestwood, Scarsdale, Hartsdale, White Plains and North White Plains.

Four trains are being added between Southeast and Grand Central. In the morning, two southbound trains will make all station stops between Southeast and Mount Kisco, then operate as express trains to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central. In the afternoon, two northbound trains will stop at Harlem-125th Street and then operate as express trains to White Plains.

On the Hudson Line, morning peak-period service will increase to 22 trains from 18. Afternoon peak-period service will increase to 21 trains from 17.

Two round-trips are being added between Croton-Harmon and Grand Central. These trains will make all stops between Croton-Harmon and Hastings-on-Hudson, then Yonkers, Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central.

Two round-trip trains between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central will also be added. These trains will make all stops between Poughkeepsie and Croton-Harmon before operating express to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central.

“This additional service that's being added, both on Monday and in August, is really a terrific sign for commuters and it's a great sign of recovery for our region,” Director of the MTA’s Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee Lisa Daglian said. “More trains are great for anybody who wants to travel around the region. It's a great sign of our economic return to some sense of normalcy.”