Metro-North increasing peak service as ridership increases

The Metro-North Railroad is increasing service on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines starting June 21.

The increase will bring service up from the 63% level of pre-pandemic availability that the railroad has been operating on up to 67%, during peak ridership times only, adding 24 new peak trains to the lines.

“We are thrilled to see sustained ridership growth as the region comes back from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi at a news conference in Grand Central Station. “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.”

Ridership of over 90,000 was tallied for the railford for five of the first nine weekdays in June, while June 1 saw a pandemic ridership record of 94,923 trips.

On the New Haven Line, four trains will be added to bring the total to 26 in both the morning and afternoon peak periods. Morning and afternoon peak periods on the Harlem Line will see an increase from 21 trains to 25. On the Hudson Line, four trains will be added to both peak periods, bringing the morning total to 22 and the afternoon total to 21.

The next expansion will up weekday service to 83% and weekend service to 70% of pre-Covid levels.

“Increased Metro-North service could not be more important as the economy is reopening and residents are returning to work,” said State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

Also announced was the extension of operating hours for Grand Central’s entrances on 46th, 47th and 48th streets from the current hours of 6:30 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., to 6:30 a.m. through 9:30 p.m. on weekdays.