| Metro-North Railroad | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 Metro-North Railroad provides services in the lower Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey (in conjunction with New Jersey Transit), and Western Connecticut. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Metropolitan Transportation Authority | ||
| Locale | Hudson Valley ofNew York; SouthwesternConnecticut;Manhattan,The Bronx,[1]North Jersey | ||
| Transit type | Commuter rail | ||
| Number of lines | 5 rail lines and 3 branches[1] | ||
| Number of stations | 124[1] | ||
| Daily ridership | 256,300 (weekdays, Q2 2025)[2] | ||
| Annual ridership | 67,778,000 (2024)[3] | ||
| Chief executive | Justin Vonashek[4] | ||
| Headquarters | Graybar Building New York, New York[5] | ||
| Website | mta | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1983[6] | ||
| Operator(s) | Metropolitan Transportation Authority NJ Transit (west-of-Hudson) | ||
| Reporting marks | MNCW | ||
| Character | At-grade, elevated, and underground | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 787 mi (1,267 km)[1] (385 mi (620 km), routes) | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | Third rail, 750 V DC Overhead line,12.5 kV 60 Hz AC | ||
| |||
TheMetro-North Commuter Railroad Company (reporting markMNCW),[7] also branded asMTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simplyMetro-North, is asuburbancommuter rail service operated by theMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), apublic authority of theU.S. state ofNew York. Metro-North serves theNew York Metropolitan Area, running service betweenNew York City and its northern suburbs in New York andConnecticut while also providing service withinNew Jersey. Areas served includePort Jervis,Spring Valley,Poughkeepsie,Yonkers,White Plains, andWassaic in New York andStamford,New Canaan,Danbury,Bridgeport,Waterbury, andNew Haven in Connecticut. Service in Connecticut is operated under contract for theConnecticut Department of Transportation; conversely, service on lines west of theHudson River is operated under contract byNJ Transit. Metro-North also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs ofManhattan andthe Bronx.
Metro-North is the descendant of commuter rail services dating back as early as 1832. By 1969, they had all been acquired byPenn Central. The MTA acquired theHarlem,Hudson, andNew Haven Lines by 1972, but Penn Central continued to operate them under contract. Service was transferred toConrail in 1976, when it absorbed most of Penn Central's railroad functions after Penn Central's bankruptcy. The system took its current form in 1983, when the MTA took over direct operation of Conrail's commuter services in the northern portion of the Tri-State Area and formed Metro-North to run them.
There are 124 stations[6] on Metro-North Railroad's five active lines and three branches, which operate on more than 787 miles (1,267 km) of track,[1] with the passenger railroad system totaling 385 miles (620 km) ofroute.[8] It is thesecond busiest commuter railroad in North America in terms of annual ridership, behind its sister railroad, theLong Island Rail Road, and ahead ofNJ Transit (both of which also serve New York City).[1] As of 2018[update], Metro-North's budgetary burden for expenditures was $1.3 billion, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees.[9] In 2024, the system had a ridership of 67,778,000, or about 256,300 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025.
Additionally, the Newburgh-Beacon, and the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry services connecting to Metro-North is operated byNY Waterway, also under contract with the MTA.[10][11] Also operated under contract with the MTA is the Hudson Rail Link, which is operated by Consolidated Bus Transit (formerly Atlantic Express).
Three lines provide passenger service on the east side of the Hudson River toGrand Central Terminal inManhattan: theHudson,Harlem, andNew Haven Lines. TheBeacon Line is a freight line owned by Metro-North but is not in service.
Freight trains operate over Metro-North lines, though the company itself does not operate freight services. The Hudson Line connects with theOak Point Link and is the main route for freight to and from the Bronx and Long Island. Freight railroadsCSX,CP Rail,P&W, andHousatonic Railroad havetrackage rights on sections of the system.SeeRail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island.
TheHarlem Line runs from Grand Central toWassaic, inAmenia, New York.
The Harlem Line has 38 stations - the most out of any mainline on the system. On the electrified portion of the line, local trains usually run between Grand Central andNorth White Plains. Express trains usually skip the stops between Grand Central andWhite Plains, before running local between White Plains andSoutheast.
North of Southeast, the Harlem Line is single-tracked and uses diesel-powered trains. Service here is mostly shuttle or “scoot” operation between Southeast and Wassaic and is sometimes referred to as the "Wassaic Branch". At present there are only two scheduled peak trains providing through service between Wassaic and Grand Central in each direction.
TheHudson Line runs alongside theHudson River from Grand Central toPoughkeepsie, New York.
The Hudson Line is split into two distinct segments atCroton-Harmon, with electrified service running south of the station and diesel service running north of it. Additionally MNRR has introduced new dual-mode diesel/electric service on the full length of the Hudson line. Usually, electric trains run local between Grand Central and Croton-Harmon. Diesel trains run express between Grand Central and Croton-Harmon, before running local between Croton-Harmon andPoughkeepsie.
TheNew Haven Line runs between Grand Central andNew Haven, Connecticut. Since most of its trackage is shared with Amtrak'sNortheast Corridor, the New Haven Line is the only fully electrified mainline on the Metro-North network.
The New Haven Line is split into an "inner zone" and an "outer zone" atStamford - similar to White Plains on the Harlem Line and Croton-Harmon on the Hudson Line. Usually, "inner zone" trains run local, serving all stops between Grand Central and Stamford. "Outer zone" trains run express between Grand Central and Stamford, before running local between Stamford andNew Haven. There is also limited peak-hour service toNew Haven State Street.
The New Haven Line also has three branch lines: theNew Canaan,Danbury, andWaterbury Branches. The New Canaan Branch, like the New Haven mainline, is fully electrified; the Danbury and Waterbury Branches use diesel-powered trains.
Metro-North provides service west of the Hudson River on trains fromHoboken Terminal, New Jersey, jointly run with NJ Transit under contract. There are two branches: thePort Jervis Line and thePascack Valley Line.[12] The Port Jervis Line is accessed from two NJ Transit lines, theMain Line and theBergen County Line.
The Port Jervis Line terminates inPort Jervis, New York, and the Pascack Valley line inSpring Valley, New York. Trackage on the Port Jervis Line north of the Suffern Yard is leased from theNorfolk Southern Railway by the MTA. NJ Transit owns all of the Pascack Valley Line, including the portion in New York.
Most stops for the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are in New Jersey, so NJ Transit provides most of therolling stock and all the staff; Metro-North supplies some equipment. Metro-North equipment has been used on other NJ Transit lines on the Hoboken division.
All stations west of the Hudson River in New York are owned and operated by Metro-North, exceptSuffern, which is owned and operated by NJ Transit.
In partnership with NY Waterway, Metro-North also provides ferry service across the Hudson River toOssining station via theHaverstraw–Ossining Ferry, operated under contract byNY Waterway.[13] TheNewburgh-Beacon Ferry also formerly provided connecting service atBeacon station;[14] it was temporarily replaced by bus service in January 2025,[15] a move that was made permanent the following July.[16]
Most of the trackage east of the Hudson River and in New York State was under the control of theNew York Central Railroad (NYC). The NYC initially operated three commuter lines, two of which ran intoGrand Central Depot (nowGrand Central Terminal). Metro-North's Harlem Line was initially a combination of trackage from theNew York and Harlem Railroad and theBoston and Albany Railroad, running from Manhattan toChatham, New York inColumbia County. At Chatham, passengers could transfer to long-distance trains on the Boston and Albany toAlbany,Boston,Vermont, andCanada.[17] On April 1, 1873, the New York and Harlem Railroad was leased byCornelius Vanderbilt, who added the railroad to hiscomplex empire of railroads, which were run by the NYC.[18] Grand Central Depot, built in 1871, served as the southern terminus of NYC's Harlem and Hudson Divisions; it would be replaced byGrand Central Station in 1900, and by Grand Central Terminal in 1913.[19] The Boston and Albany came under the ownership of NYC in 1914.[citation needed]
NYC's four-trackWater Level Route paralleled the Hudson River, Erie Canal, and Great Lakes on a route from New York to Chicago via Albany. It was fast and popular due to the lack of any significant grades. The section between Grand Central andPeekskill, New York, the northernmost station inWestchester County, became known as the NYC's Hudson Division, with frequent commuter service in and out of Manhattan. Stations to the north of Peekskill, such as Poughkeepsie, were considered to be long-distance services. The other major commuter line was thePutnam Division running from155th Street inupper Manhattan (later fromSedgwick Avenue inthe Bronx) toBrewster, New York. Passengers would transfer to theIRT Ninth Avenue Line formidtown andlower Manhattan.
From the mid-19th century until 1969, the New Haven Line, including the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches, was owned by theNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). These branches were started in the 1830s with horse-drawn cars, later replaced by steam engines, on a route that connected Lower Manhattan toHarlem. Additional lines started in the mid-19th century included theNew York and New Haven Railroad and theHartford and New Haven Railroad, which provided routes toHartford, Springfield, Massachusetts, and eventuallyBoston. The two roads merged in 1872 to become the NYNH&H, growing into the largest passenger and commuter carrier in New England. In the early 20th century, the NYNH&H came under the control ofJ.P. Morgan. Morgan's bankroll allowed the NYNH&H to modernize by upgrading steam power with both electric (along the New Haven Line) and diesel power (branches and lines to eastern and northern New England). The NYNH&H saw much profitability throughout the 1910s and 1920s until theGreat Depression of the 1930s forced it into bankruptcy.[20]
Commuter services west of the Hudson River, today's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines, were initially part of theErie Railroad. The Port Jervis Line, built in the 1850s and 1860s, was originally part of the Erie's mainline fromJersey City to Buffalo, New York. The Pascack Valley Line was built by theNew Jersey and New York Railroad, which became a subsidiary of the Erie. Trains that service Port Jervis formerly continued toBinghamton andBuffalo, New York (today used only by freight trains), while Pascack Valley service continued toHaverstraw, New York. In 1956, the Erie Railroad began coordinated service with rivalDelaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad, and in 1960 they formed theErie Lackawanna. Trains were rerouted to the Lackawanna's Hoboken Terminal in 1956–1958.
Passenger rail in the United States began to falter after World War II. Commuter services historically had always been unprofitable, and were usually subsidized by long-distance passenger and freight services. As these profits disappeared, commuter services usually were the first to be affected. Many railroads began to gradually discontinue their commuter lines after the war. By 1958, the NYC had already suspended service on its Putnam Division, while the newly formed Erie Lackawanna, in an effort to make a successful merger, began to prune some of its commuter services. Most New Yorkers still chose the train as their primary means of commuting, making many of the other lines heavily patronized. Thus the NYC, the NYNH&H, and the Erie Lackawanna had to maintain service on these lines. Mergers between railroads were seen as a way to curtail these issues by combining capital and services and creating efficiencies.
In February 1965, New York GovernorNelson Rockefeller and Connecticut GovernorJohn N. Dempsey jointly suggested that operations of the New Haven Line, theNew Haven Railroad's strugglingcommuter rail operation, be transferred to the New York Central Railroad as part of a plan to prevent the New Haven Railroad from going bankrupt. If the operational merger occurred, the proposedMetropolitan Commuter Transit Authority (MCTA; now Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA) and the existing Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) would contract with New York Central to operate the New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal.[21] Due to growing debts, the railroad would have to cease operating passenger trains on the New Haven Line if nothing was done.[22]: 229 A joint report from both agencies, released in September of that year, recommended that the line be leased to New York Central for 99 years, with the MCTA and CTA acting as agents for both states.[23] In October, the MCTA found that the New Haven Line's stations and infrastructure were even more decrepit than those of the LIRR.[24] The New Haven Railroad's trustees initially opposed New York Central's takeover of the New Haven Line, as they felt that the $140 million offer for the New Haven Line was too low.[25] After some discussion, the trustees decided to continue operating the New Haven Line, but only until June 1967.[26]
In 1968, following the Erie Lackawanna's example, the NYC and its rival thePennsylvania Railroad formedPenn Central Transportation with the hope of revitalizing their fortunes. In 1969 the bankrupt NYNH&H was also combined into Penn Central by theInterstate Commerce Commission. However, this merger eventually failed, due to large financial costs, government regulations, corporate rivalries, and lack of a formal merger plan. In 1970 Penn Central declared bankruptcy, at the time the largest corporate bankruptcy ever declared.[27] The same year, the MTA also entered into a long-term lease of Penn Central's Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines.[28] Penn Central continued to operate the now-subsidized lines under contract to the MTA. In April 1970, Rockefeller proposed that the state take over the Hudson and Harlem Lines,[29] and the next month, he signed a bond issue that provided $44.4 million in funding to these lines.[30]
The MTA and ConnDOT acquired the New Haven Line from Penn Central in January 1971.[31] In May 1972, Penn Central also sold the Hudson and Harlem Lines to the MTA.[32] Penn Central continued to operate all three routes under contract to the MTA and ConnDOT.[31][32] As part of its plan to modernize the commuter lines, the MTA orderedhigh-speed "Cosmopolitan" railcars for the New Haven Line[33] as well as for the Hudson and Harlem Lines.[34] After a series of delays and derailments in mid-1972, which involved Penn Central trains near Grand Central Terminal, Chairman Ronan expressed his disapproval of the way Penn Central was running its railroads. He said that the proportion of trains running on schedule had declined after Penn Central had inherited the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines in 1968.[35]
In 1976, Congress awarded the MTA "temporary" funding so the LIRR and Penn Central commuter routes could be handed over to local private operators.[22]: 240 The bankrupt Penn Central's commuter routes were taken over byConrail, an entity created by the federal government, the same year. Many of the other Northeastern railroads, including the Erie Lackawanna, followed Penn Central into bankruptcy, and so they had been merged into Conrail.[36] However, the handover to private owners did not happen.[22]: 240
In March 1981, the administration of PresidentRonald Reagan suggested that struggling Conrail commuter operations across five states be transferred to state agencies. At the time, Conrail was being floated by the federal government as a private for-profit freight-only carrier. Even with state subsidies, the federal government did not want Conrail to take on the operating costs of the commuter lines, which it was relieved from by theNortheast Rail Service Act of 1981. Thus, it became essential that state-owned agencies both operate and subsidize their commuter services.[37]
Over the next few years commuter lines under the control of Conrail were gradually taken over by state agencies such as the newly formedNJ Transit in New Jersey, the establishedSEPTA in southeastern Pennsylvania, andMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston.[22]: 240 In March 1982, the MTA announced it would take over the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines as long as there was no extra operating cost involved.[38] The MTA and ConnDOT officially took control of the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines on January 1, 1983, and merged them into the Metro-North Commuter Railroad.[28][39][40]
Metro-North took over the former Erie Lackawanna services west of the Hudson and north of the New Jersey state line. Since those lines are physically connected to NJ Transit, operations were contracted to NJ Transit with Metro-North subsidizing the service and supplying equipment.
In preparation for the takeover, Metro-North was created as a division of the MTA, with Peter Stangl as president. Once under the MTA's control, the agency planned to phase in capital improvements over the following five years. As part of the transition, the MTA needed to negotiate new labor contracts with the 17 unions representing 5,000 Conrail employees who would become MTA employees and had to negotiate the transfer of most of Conrail's assets.[41]
Much work was needed in reorganization, as significant business success would not appear for at least two decades, following the faltering railroad industry in the 1970s.[17] Conrail and later Metro-North had decided to trim whatever services they felt were unnecessary. A significant portion of the old New York Central Central Harlem line betweenMillerton andChatham, New York was abandoned by Conrail, leaving northeasternDutchess and Columbia counties with no rail transportation. Most commuter lines were kept in service although they were in much need of repair.
On March 7, 1983, after labor negotiations between the MTA and the United Transportation Union (UTU) broke off, Metro-North employees went on strike. Commuters were left to carpool or use shuttle buses running to subway stations in the Bronx. Metro-North wanted to eliminate minimum staffing requirements and wanted the complete freedom to assign crews–a demand that the employees would not agree to. This was the first strike to shut down the New Haven, Harlem, and Hudson at the same time since January 1961.[42] The UTU also went on strike against NJ Transit, which took over Conrail lines in New Jersey,[43] and against SEPTA in Philadelphia. Two weeks into the strike, Metro-North President Peter Stangl estimated that it lost $80,000 a week due to the strike. The chairman of the MTA's finance committee, Stephen Berger, feared that Metro-North would lose 5% of its pre-strike ridership of 90,000–costing the railroad $1.3 million.[44]
Richard Ravitch, the MTA Chairman, asked President Reagan to seek legislation to place the dispute under the law of New York State. Even though Metro-North was a state agency, the workers remained under federal law because Conrail was a federal agency.[45] Reagan had turned down a request by Governor Mario Cuomo to intervene, but indicated that he would listen if a congressionally approved proposal was issued.[46] The strike lasted six weeks, and ended on April 18 when the two sides agreed to binding arbitration.[47]
The first major project undertaken by Metro-North was the extension of the third-rail electrification on the Harlem line fromNorth White Plains to a new station at Brewster North (since renamedSoutheast). This was completed in 1984.[48] During the late 1980s and early 1990s, all wayside signals that did not protect switches and interlockings north of Grand Central were removed and replaced by moderncab signaling.
In October 1998, the New York State Department of Transportation announced that the Newburgh–Beacon Shuttle would be developed in conjunction with Metro-North, running from the Beacon station on the Hudson Line to the Newburgh park-and-ride onRoute 17K.[49]
Metro-North spent the better part of its early days updating and repairing its infrastructure. Stations, track, and rolling stock all needed to be repaired, renovated, or replaced. The railroad succeeded and by the mid 90s gained both respect and monetary success, according to the MTA's website.[citation needed] 2006 was the best year for the division, with a 97.8% rate of on-time trains, record ridership (76.9 million people), and a passenger satisfaction rating of 92%.[17] In December 2017, the MTA announced that the Metro-North Railroad stations atWhite Plains,Harlem–125th Street,Crestwood,Port Chester, andRiverdale, would receive a complete overhaul as part of theEnhanced Station Initiative and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories, and maps.[50]
The Harlem and Hudson lines and the Park Avenue mainline to Grand Central were previously owned by Midtown TDR Ventures LLC, who bought them from the corporate successors to Penn Central.[51] The MTA had a lease extending to the year 2274 and an option to buy starting in 2017.[52] The MTA exercised their option to buy what was now Argent Ventures' rail assets on November 13, 2018. Under the terms of the deal, the MTA purchased Grand Central Terminal, as well as the Hudson Line from Grand Central to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Poughkeepsie, and the Harlem Line from Grand Central to Dover Plains.[53] In October 2025, the MTA announced that it planned to extend one daily Hudson Line round-trip northward toAlbany–Rensselaer station beginning in early 2026.[54][55][56]
Most services running into Grand Central Terminal are electrically powered.
Diesel trains into Grand Central useGeneral ElectricP32AC-DMelectro-diesel locomotives capable of switching to a pure electric mode. These locomotives have contact shoes compatible with Metro-North's under-running 750 VDCthird rail power distribution system.Shoreliner series coaches are used inpush-pull operation.
On the Hudson Line, local trains between Grand Central andCroton–Harmon are powered by third rail. Through trains to Poughkeepsie are diesel powered and do not require a change of locomotive at Croton-Harmon. The Harlem Line has third rail from Grand Central Terminal to Southeast and trains are powered by diesel north toWassaic. At most times, passengers between Southeast and Wassaic must change at Southeast to a diesel train powered byBrookville BL20-GH locomotives. Electric service on the Hudson and Harlem lines usesM3 andM7 MU cars.
The New Haven Line is unique in that trains use both third rail and 12.5 kVAC from overheadcatenary. The line fromGrand Central Terminal toMount Vernon East uses third rail, while the section from Pelham east to New Haven State Street, which is 58 miles (93 km), uses overhead catenary. These electrification systems overlap between Mount Vernon East and Pelham stations and trains change power systems from one to the other while running between the stations.Multi-systemM8 railcars equipped with third rail shoes andpantographs are used for electric service on the line.
The New Canaan Branch also uses overhead catenary. The Danbury Branch was electrified, but became a diesel line in 1961. The Waterbury Branch, the only east-of-Hudson Metro-North service which has no direct service to Grand Central, is diesel only.
Power is collected from the bottom of the third rail as opposed to the top, used by other third rail systems, including the Long Island Rail Road and New York City Subway. This system is known as the Wilgus-Sprague third rail, and the SEPTAMarket–Frankford Line inPhiladelphia and Metro-North are the only two systems in North America that use it. It allows the third rail to be completely insulated from above, thus decreasing the chances of a person being electrocuted by coming in contact with the rail. It also reduces the impact of icing in winter.[57]
The Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines and the New Canaan branch and all passenger rolling stock is equipped withcab signalling, which displays the appropriate block signal in the engineer's cab. All rolling stock is equipped withAutomatic Train Control (ATC), which enforces the speed dictated by the cab signal by a penalty brake application should the engineer fail to obey it. There are no intermediate wayside signals between interlockings: operation is solely by cab signal. Wayside signals remain at interlockings.[58] These are a special type of signal, a go, a slow or a stop signal. They do not convey information about traffic in the blocks ahead – the cab signal conveys block information.[58]
Metro-North began upgrading its Operations Control Center in Grand Central Terminal in 2008. All control hardware was replaced and software upgrades were performed. The new OCC at Grand Central opened over the weekend of July 18, 2010.[59]
Most of the rolling stock on west-of-Hudson lines consists of Metro-North owned and markedComet V cars, although occasionally other NJ Transit (NJT) cars are used as the two railroads pool equipment. The trains are also usually handled by EMDGP40FH-2,GP40PH-2,F40PH-3C,AlstomPL42AC, orBombardierALP-45DP locomotives, although any Metro-North or NJ Transit diesel can show up. Metro-North owned and marked equipment operated by NJ Transit can also be seen on other NJ Transit lines.
The Harlem Line and Hudson Line use a combination ofM3A andM7electric multiple units, similar to those used on theLong Island Rail Road. The New Haven Line usesM8 EMUs, which have the ability to switch betweenthird rail andcatenary wire. Diesel locomotives and push-pull units are used on the non-electrified portions of the network.
Although Metro-North uses many abbreviations (MNCR, MNR, MN, etc.) the only officialreporting marks registered and recognized onAEI scanner tags is 'MNCW'. Rolling stock owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation bears the CTDOT seal and either the New Haven ("NH") logo or the MTA logo and is identified using the reporting mark 'CNDX'.[60]
Metro-North offers many different ticket types and prices depending on the frequency of travel and distance of the ride. While the fare policies of the east of Hudson and west of Hudson divisions are essentially the same, west of Hudson trains are operated by NJ Transit using its ticketing system.[citation needed]
Tickets may be bought from a ticket office at stations,ticket vending machines (TVMs), online through the "WebTicket" program or through apps foriOS andAndroid devices,[61] or on the train. Monthly tickets may be bought through the MTA's "Mail&Ride" program where monthly passes are delivered by mail. There is a discount for buying tickets online and through Mail&Ride. A surcharge is added if a ticket is purchased on a train.
Ticket types available include One-way, Round-trip (two One-way tickets), 10-trip, Weekly (unlimited travel for one calendar week), Monthly (unlimited travel for one calendar month), and special student and disabled fare tickets.MetroCards are available on the reverse side of the Round-trip, Weekly, and Monthly tickets.
All tickets to/from Manhattan (Grand Central Terminal and Harlem–125th Street) are distinguished as being peak or off-peak. Peak fares, substantially higher than off-peak, apply on weekdays to travelto Manhattan on trains that arrive in Grand Central between 6 am and 10 am, and to travelfrom Manhattan on trains that leave Grand Central between 6 am and 9 am and 4 pm and 8 pm.[62] Note that peak fares donot apply to travelto Manhattan on trains that arrive in Grand Central during the afternoon/evening rush hour. Off-peak fares are charged at all other times on weekdays, and off-peak fares are charged all day Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Tickets for travel outside Manhattan, including tickets for travel to/from the Bronx, are called Intermediate tickets and are not subject to peak fares.
Metro-North stations are split between 14 zones in New York state. In Connecticut, the fare structure is more complex due to the many branches on the New Haven Line. Generally, these zones correspond to express stops on the lines and from "blocks" of service within the schedules.
In 2017, it was announced that theMetroCard fare payment system, used on New York City-area rapid transit and bus systems, would be phased out and replaced byOMNY, acontactless fare payment system. Fare payment would be made usingApple Pay,Google Wallet, debit/credit cards withnear-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards.[63][64] As part of the implementation of OMNY, the MTA also plans to use the system in the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.[65]
In 2003, the LIRR and Metro-North started a pilot program in which passengers traveling within New York City were allowed to buy one-way tickets for $2.50.[66] The special reduced-fare CityTicket, proposed by the New York City Transit Riders Council,[66] was formally introduced in 2004.[67] The discounted fares were initially only available for travel on Saturdays and Sundays.[68] In March 2022, it was expanded to include all off-peak trains throughout the week for $5.[69] The MTA announced plans in December 2022 to allow CityTickets to be used on peak trains as well;[70][71] governorKathy Hochul confirmed these plans the next month.[72] The peak CityTickets, as announced in July 2023, would cost $7 each.[73] As part of a one-year pilot program starting in July 2024, monthly tickets for Metro-North trips entirely within New York City would also receive a 10% discount.[74][75]
CityTicket is valid for travel that begins and ends within New York City. CityTickets can only be bought before boarding, except atWillets Point on theLong Island Rail Road where they can be purchased on board, and they must be used on the day of purchase.[76]
| All Lines | Grand Central Terminal |
|---|---|
| Harlem-125th Street | |
| Hudson Line | Yankees-153rd Street |
| Morris Heights | |
| University Heights | |
| Spuyten Duyvil | |
| Riverdale | |
| Harlem Line | Melrose |
| Tremont | |
| Harlem and New Haven Lines | Fordham |
| Harlem Line | Botanical Garden |
| Williams Bridge | |
| Woodlawn | |
| Wakefield |
All West of Hudson stations are included in NJ Transit's fare structure, and a single ticket may be purchased for travel between any two stations on either system.
On May 23, 2009, Metro-North openedYankees–East 153rd Street, a station with direct, game-day "Yankee Clipper" trains from all East of Hudson lines.[77] Trains from the New Haven and Harlem lines gain access via thewye at Mott Haven Junction, the first time that scheduled revenue service has operated across this section of the wye.
Northward expansion of the Hudson Line has often met opposition from residents of communities includingHyde Park andRhinecliff, even though the latter is home to Amtrak'sRhinecliff station, frequented by commuters from northernDutchess and northernUlster Counties.[78] Supervisors of some towns north ofPoughkeepsie began expressing interest in extending rail service in 2007.[79]
On October 20, 2025, it was announced by GovernorKathleen C. Hochul that Metro-North service on the Hudson line will be extended north from Poughkeepsie toAlbany–Rensselaer in 2026.[80][81]
There are plans to redevelop the formerWingdale Psychiatric Center into a mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood known as Dover Knolls, centered around theHarlem Valley–Wingdale station.
Northward expansion took place most recently when it was extended from Dover Plains to Wassaic in 2000, requiring a costly rebuilding of tracks that had been abandoned years before. Going further north would require substantial investment to rebuild tracks,grade crossings, stations and other facilities that were removed long ago, and obtaining eminent domain for the train property used by the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Expansion of either line would probably be limited to Dutchess County, as extending Metro-North into Columbia County, and thus toChatham, would require changes to the MTA charter, and residents of that county would become subject to the MTA tax.
In 2014, Metro-North officials announced that they would be installing security cameras at all stations on the Harlem and New Haven Lines in order to address public safety concerns. These concerns arose from an incident on September 29, 2013, where the body of 17-year-oldMount Saint Michael Academy student Matthew Wallace was found on the tracks of theWakefield station. Wallace, who was inebriated at the time, was killed when a northbound train struck him while he was standing on the platform. Due to the lack of cameras at the station, footage of his death did not exist.[82][83][84]
Discussions are underway to re-electrify the Danbury Branch[85] with a concurrent expansion toNew Milford. As of January 2025[update], a bill to initiate the project has made its way to the Connecticut General Assembly[86], although similar bills have been introduced 9 times[87]. Connecticut officials and Metro-North also began construction ofa new station inWest Haven in November 2010. It was opened on August 18, 2013.[88] CTDOT is also moving forward on a study to increase freight service on the New Haven Line in an effort to reduce the number of trucks on the congestedConnecticut Turnpike. Metro-North has upgraded most of the original 1907–1914New Haven Railroad catenary system, a project begun in the early 1990s and scheduled to finish in mid-2018.[89] The Danbury Branch is to receive $30 million for station upgrades along the line as well as implementation of a new signal system.
Plans to extend the Waterbury Branch northeast from Waterbury are under discussion. The extension would bring passenger rail service to central Connecticut, including the two largest cities in Connecticut without passenger rail service,Bristol andNew Britain, and on to Hartford, where transfers to Amtrak would be possible.[citation needed]
In 2014, Metro-North officials announced that they would be installing security cameras at all stations on the Harlem and New Haven Lines in order to address public safety concerns.[82]
In September 2009, Metro-North announced plans for a $1.7 millionenvironmental impact statement on accessingPenn Station; although this possibility had been considered for several decades, it was never pursued because there was no space for any more trains in Penn Station.[90] The project therefore depended upon the completion ofEast Side Access, which redirected someLong Island Rail Road trains from Penn Station to Grand Central[90] upon its completion in early 2023.[91] Weekday Metro-North service in the Bronx includes 253 daily trains with approximately 13,200 daily boardings. In addition, Metro-North also connects 5,000 Bronx residents to suburban jobs, making it the largest rail reverse-commute market in the United States. GovernorAndrew Cuomo publicly and strongly supported the project in January 2014.[92]
New Haven Line trains would enter theHell Gate Line through New Rochelle. AtSunnyside Yards, they would enter Manhattan via theEast River Tunnels. Stations would be built atCo-op City,Morris Park,Parkchester/Van Nest,[93] andHunts Point.[94] Open houses were held at each of the four proposed stations in the Fall of 2012.[90][94] Stations would bewheelchair-accessible, withbicycle parking and multi-modal transfer areas to train or bus.[94] Cuomo endorsed the New Haven Line portion of the Penn Station Access project in his 2014 State of the State speech, stating that some Sandy recovery money could pay for the project's cost of over $1 billion. He did not mention the Hudson Line portion of the project.[95]
On October 28, 2015, the MTA Board of Directors approved a 2015–2019 Capital Program which included $695 million in planned spending for the Penn Station Access project.[96] Upon completion of the Environmental Review process, Metro-North will design and implement the track and structural work needed to operate on the Hell Gate Bridge and its approaches in the Bronx and Queens; communications and signals work; power improvements, including third rail,power substations, andcatenary; construction of the four stations in the Bronx; and rolling stock specification development for the fleet needed to operate the service.[97] A groundbreaking ceremony for Penn Station Access took place in the Bronx on December 9, 2022.[98]
Service is planned to begin in 2027 at the earliest.[99] The opening ofEast Side Access in 2023 diverted someLong Island Rail Road trains toGrand Central Madison,[100] therefore opening up slots at Penn Station for Metro-North service. During peak hours there will be between six and ten trains on the New Haven Line to Penn Station. There will be four trains per hour to Connecticut in the reverse peak direction, and there will be two trains per hour to and from Penn Station during off-peak and weekends.[101]
The MTA was working with the Tappan Zee Bridge Environmental Review on several options wherethe replacement for theTappan Zee Bridge would have included a rail line to connect the Pascack Valley Line in Rockland County to the Hudson Line in Westchester County. A proposedbus rapid transit system using the new bridge was shelved as too expensive, but the bridge was structurally built for expansion with BRT and/or commuter rail at a later date.[102] This is now part of a dedicated bus lane system planned to go into service in late 2018.[103]
Metro-North is considering extending Port Jervis Line service toStewart International Airport in Newburgh,[104] a move that could make a Tappan Zee Bridge rail line even more useful, as it would serve both commuters and travelers who choose to fly to and from Stewart, instead of the three major New York City-area airports.
Absolute Block Signal is when the Cab Signals fail on the train, showing block is clear to the next interlocking.
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