The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has completed its multiyear five-phase project for rebuilding and upgrading the massive Harmon Shop at Croton-on-Hudson where the Metro-North Railroad performs maintenance on its trains. In response to an inquiry from the Business Journal, the MTA reported that the total cost of the project, which has taken more than two decades to complete, is $1.1 billion. The federal government provided $360 million and New York state covered $395 million of the cost. The rest came out of MTA funds.
The New York Central Railroad established maintenance facilities at the Croton Harmon yards in about 1907. They were expanded over the years and have grown into a 400,000 square foot facility where about 1,200 people are employed.
“These upgrades are investments for the railroad to operate reliably for the public, with trains arriving on time and with enough cars to carry all the passengers who want to ride,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said when announcing completion of all phases of the project.
When Metro-North inherited the site from its predecessor Conrail in 1983, it was immediately recognized as inadequate to meet the needs of crews who would maintain the railroad’s fleets of rail cars and locomotives. The MTA identified capital funds to make upgrades in the late 1990s, and work had been underway since 2001.
There were five phases to the project:
- In Phase 1, crews built service tracks, a new employee overpass, and provided power to the yard to significantly reduce idling engines and produce less fossil fuel emissions;
- Phase 2 included modifications to the Material Distribution Center;
- Phase 3 involved building new shops to maintain passenger cars, M-7 self-propelled electric cars, and locomotives along with a new facility where wheels are serviced;
- Phase 4 included various building repairs and the construction of a new Wheel Storage Canopy;
- Phase 5 provided the complete replacement of a multipurpose building in two stages, including the construction of a brand-new facility that includes repair and support shops.
According to Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi, “The Harmon Yard is the heart of Metro-North’s operations, and the timing of this project completion could not be better. Metro-North is currently in the middle of an impressive streak, four straight years with an on-time performance of at least 97%. Now, with a completed Harmon Yard, the railroad can continue to deliver exceptional service to the tens of thousands daily riders.”
Keith Chouinard, senior vice president and general manager for Skanska USA Civil, a company that worked on two phases of the project, said, “This project has transformed the historic 100-year-old facility into a modern-day transportation hub that will greatly improve the maintenance operations across the MTA’s rail and locomotive fleet, while simultaneously enhancing the commuter experience for the thousands of passengers utilizing Metro-North services daily.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “As we celebrate the Harmon Shop, we’re not just witnessing the expansion of a facility; we’re witnessing the reinforcement of Metro-North’s commitment to excellence and reliability.”
