Pandemic Protection: Pick Least-Full Train Car On Metro-North

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Riders of Metro-North's Harlem and Hudson lines will be able to find out which passenger cars are the least crowded before they board a train, as new capability is added to the MTA's TrainTime app.

As the Hudson Valley enters the newest wave of the pandemic, customers want more information about social distancing, MTA officials said during a news conference at the White Plains station Monday. A recent survey of Metro-North riders found that one of their top concerns was social distancing.

"We heard loud and clear that customers were looking about information about crowding onboard," said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. "TrainTime will now help customers see real time crowding and capacity tracking before they get on a train."

Mark Dowd, the MTA's chief innovation officer, said "the idea is to get as much information out to our ridership so they can safely travel."

Rinaldi said the app will help riders, who are already being very careful. They're using masks, using hand sanitizer and purchasing e-tickets, she said.

"People need to go to their businesses, they need to support their families, and safety measures like these are what the public is crying out for," said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, whose district is full of commuters. "We need to keep the trains running, we need to keep people safe, and this app goes a long way toward doing both."

Metro-North ridership is at about 20 percent of normal, only slightly recovered from the height of the New York outbreak in the spring, when ridership dropped 95 percent.