Weekend Train Ridership Rising Fastest: Metro-North Officials

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Metro-North Railroad officials promise big service increases just ahead of Labor Day, with weekend service returning to full pre-pandemic levels and weekday service increasing to 82 percent, MTA officials announced Friday.

Weekend ridership at large has recovered faster than weekday ridership on Metro-North, officials said. In the spring, weekend ridership grew to around 60-70 percent of pre-pandemic levels as the Hudson Valley, New York City and Connecticut regions reopened and people utilized the traditionally known commuter railroad for leisure travel.

Ridership on the weekend is now around 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels and with the fall season coming up, Metro-North is providing additional service to traverse the region and meet the increase in ridership demand.

"Our weekend ridership has recovered the fastest which is why we felt comfortable restoring weekend service to pre-pandemic levels, and hope to do the same with weekday service in the near future," said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad. "Throughout this pandemic we have matched service levels with ridership demand, and as we gear up for more people to return to the office and school, we are increasing service to meet that demand."

Additionally, Dutchess County residents will benefit when direct service between Grand Central Terminal and Wassaic (and New Canaan) resumes.

Rockland and Orange residents will benefit from the resumption of ferry service on the Hudson Line. Ferry service will connect with morning and afternoon peak trains at Beacon and Ossining. Schedules for the Haverstraw-Ossining and Newburgh-Beacon ferries will be made available in early August, Metro-North officials said.

All these increases in service and service options come as Metro-North prepares for a post-Labor Day return to schools and offices.

The service increases take effect beginning Aug. 29 and 30.

It's been a long, slow process. Metro-North began a gradual increase after the height of the pandemic by adding trains on June 15, 2020 and June 22, 2020, that brought service up to 63 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

On April 12, the railroad restored weekend service between Wassaic and Southeast on the upper Harlem Line.