Starting April 7 Minor Schedule Adjustments Will be in Effect to Support Infrastructure Work on East-of-Hudson Lines; 10 Trains Restored to Service with Completion of GCT Project
Schedule Update Adds Yankee Clippers Game Day Service for Baseball Season, With Metro-North Offering Direct Service to Yankee Stadium Before and After Most Games
Riders Are Encouraged to Check TrainTime Prior to Traveling
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad today announced an upcoming schedule update which will go into effect on Sunday, April 7. The updated schedule reflects minor adjustments to accommodate major infrastructure projects such as the Park Avenue Viaduct Replacement Project undertaken by MTA Construction & Development and the Walk Bridge Replacement Project undertaken by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, as well as general infrastructure improvement work.
"I am so pleased that we have been able to advance critical infrastructure work this winter while still delivering outstanding service to our customers, with Metro-North setting an all-time record for on-time performance in February," said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. "These adjustments allow for major projects to move forward that once complete will only increase the reliability of service even more."
With the on-time completion of the Diamond Replacement Project, a complicated switch replacement project occurring in tight quarters under heavy traffic and challenging conditions in the heart of Grand Central Terminal, the 10 peak-period trains which were suspended on January 16 are being restored to the schedule effective Monday, April 8.
Return of Metro-North's Yankee Clippers
Metro-North's schedule update also includes the return of game day service to Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees open their season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, April 5 at 1:05 p.m.
For Opening Day, Metro-North will operate shuttle trains between Grand Central Terminal (GCT), Harlem-125 St and Yankees-E 153 St stations and will also make a stop at the stadium on several additional Hudson Line trains. Riders from the Harlem and New Haven lines may connect at Harlem-125th St station for the short ride to the stadium.
For evening games on weekdays and all games on weekends, Yankee Clippers are special game day trains which provide a direct one-seat ride from the railroad’s East of Hudson lines to Yankees-E 153 St station.
In addition to the Yankee Clipper trains, for every game Metro-North will operate shuttle trains between Grand Central, Harlem-125 St and Yankees-E 153 St stations for fans coming from Manhattan and Long Island. Fans can connect to Metro-North from the subway or Long Island Rail Road at Grand Central or take any Harlem or New Haven Line train and transfer at Harlem-125 St station trains; several regularly scheduled Hudson Line trains will make an extra stop at the stadium.
Return of Getaway Trains and Enhanced Off-Peak Service on Friday
Metro-North will operate getaway service for the summer holidays starting on Memorial Day Weekend with afternoon service for riders getting a head start on the weekend. The railroad will also operate getaway service for Independence Day and Labor Day.
Also included is a change to Friday schedules to enhance off-peak service on the Hudson and Harlem lines to better serve ridership patterns, adding the following trains to its Friday schedule:
Hudson Line – 8:50 a.m. train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central; 2:18 p.m. from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie
Harlem Line – 9:54 a.m. from Southeast to Grand Central; 2:24 p.m. from Grand Central to Southeast
Riders are encouraged to check TrainTime for possible changes that may affect their departure times. Riders departing Grand Central should check the departure board or TrainTime before going to the platform, as some trains will leave off different tracks than they currently do.