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General Overview of Metro
North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad provides commuter service on five routes
covering 412 miles, serving 120 stations.
Metro-North is the third largest commuter railroad in North
America, with a ridership that exceeds 240,000 trips on
weekdays.
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Three rail lines — the Hudson,
Harlem, and New Haven — provide direct service to Grand
Central Terminal, the historic Manhattan gateway that
Metro-North refers to as its “jewel in the crown.” Originally
opened in 1913, the terminal underwent a 4-year renovation
completed in 1998. Metro-North’s
“West of Hudson” service consists of two lines that originate
at New Jersey Transit’s Hoboken Terminal, which have a
significant portion of mileage in the Garden State before
reaching the New York border. The trains are operated under
contract by New Jersey Transit, with equipment and funding
provided by Metro-North. |
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Metro-North’s ancestors include
such legendary names as the New York Central, New Haven, and
Erie Railroads, all of which (several mergers later) became a
part of Conrail. The Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981
authorized Conrail to divest its commuter operations by the
end of 1982. Metro-North Commuter Railroad began operations on
January 1, 1983, |
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an arm of the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, which also oversees the Long Island
Rail Road, the New York City transit system, and the 14-mile
Staten Island Railway. |
The states of New York and
Connecticut had previously acquired the New Haven Line right
of way from Penn Central Corporation in 1971. A year later,
the MTA leased the Hudson and Harlem Lines from Penn Central,
and also leased Grand Central Terminal, which had come close
to being redeveloped. In 1993, the MTA signed new long-term
leases for all three properties with Penn Central’s successor
American Premier Underwriters.
New Haven Line service is provided by Metro-North under
contract to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Because ownership of the line is split between the two states,
ConnDOT subsidizes part of the service and also supplies
rolling stock and locomotives, including FL9s adorned in the
classic New Haven Railroad McGinnis paint scheme.
West of the Hudson River, NJ Transit owns the Pascack Valley
Line to Spring Valley, N.Y., and the New Jersey portion of the
Port Jervis Line. In New York state, Port Jervis Line trackage
is owned by Norfolk Southern.
Metro-North trains operate with their own crews; Metro-North
dispatchers (called RTCs — Rail Traffic Controllers) direct
traffic on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines, including
trains operated by tenants Amtrak, CSX Transportation,
Canadian Pacific, Guilford Rail System, and Providence &
Worcester.
Since its inception, Metro-North has completed several capital
projects to improve operations and service. Many have centered
around Grand Central Terminal, from a reconstruction of the
tracks, tunnel, and Park Avenue viaduct, to the opening of the
North Entrance pedestrian walkways in 1999.
A project to extend the Harlem Line’s third rail
electrification 30 miles from North White Plains to the
Brewster North station was completed in 1984. On July 9, 2000,
service on the non-electrified portion of the Harlem was
extended 5 miles from Dover Plains to Wassaic.
Metro-North operates a varied fleet of passenger equipment.
Electric M.U.s built by the Budd Company in the 1970s and 80s
provide service on electrified portions of the Hudson and
Harlem Lines. Older M.U.s built by Pullman-Standard in
1962-1965 for the New York Central are slated for retirement,
once new M.U.s from Bombardier are placed in service in 2003.
New Haven Line M.U.s from three builders (General Electric,
Tokyu Car, and Morrison-Knudsen), built in the 1970s and 90s,
are equipped with both third rail shoes and pantographs; they
draw power from the third rail as they leave Grand Central
Terminal, then switch to overhead catenary near Pelham in the
Bronx. Both Metro-North and ConnDOT own an assortment of New
Haven Line M.U.s.
Diesel-powered push-pull trains with single-level Bombardier
coaches are used on the non-electrified portions of all five
lines. Metro-North stables a fleet of dual-mode
diesel-electric locomotives equipped with third-rail shoes for
electric operation in the Park Avenue tunnel and Grand Central
Terminal. The newest of these are A.C. traction P32ACDM's from
GE, similar to models purchased by Amtrak for its Empire
Corridor trains. The oldest are the classic FL9 cab units
built between 1957 and 1960 for the New Haven Railroad. Seven
FL9s were rebuilt by ABB Traction and equipped with A.C.
traction motors, now designated as FL9AC's (and nicknamed
Starships). For shuttle service on the outermost reaches of
its lines, Metro-North also relies on four F10A's, ex-GM&O
F3's rebuilt by Illinois Central Gulf, that were purchased
from the MBTA.
On its West of Hudson trains, Metro-North uses GP40FH-2's —
rebuilt GP40's with F45 cowl carbodies—from Morrison-Knudsen,
as well as a GP40PH-2, and two F40PH-2CAT's, ex-Amtrak
F40PH-2's rebuilt at Norfolk Southern’s Juniata (Pa.) shop.
Grand Central Terminal lines
Hudson Line. New York Central’s historic route along the east
bank of the Hudson River still sees frequent daily service.
Electric trains operate to Croton-Harmon, with diesel service
beyond to Poughkeepsie, 74 miles from Grand Central Terminal.
Serves 27 stations on weekdays, 28 on weekends. (Trains stop
at Breakneck Ridge on weekends and holidays.)
Harlem Line. Daily service. Electric trains operate to
Brewster North, with limited diesel service beyond to Wassaic,
81 miles from Grand Central. Serves 36 stations on weekdays,
37 on weekends. (Trains stop at the Appalachian Trail station
on weekends and holidays.)
New Haven Line. Electric service provided daily to New Haven,
Connecticut, 72.5 miles from Grand Central, serving 28
stations. Trains also operate on three branches. Daily
electric shuttle service provided on the 8-mile New Canaan
Branch between Stamford and New Canaan, serving four stations,
with through service to Grand Central Terminal during weekday
rush hours. Diesel-powered shuttle trains operate daily on the
24-mile Danbury Branch between South Norwalk and Danbury
serving 7 stations, with through service to Grand Central
Terminal during weekday rush hours. Diesel-powered shuttle
trains operate daily on the 27-mile Waterbury Branch between
Bridgeport and Waterbury serving six stations.
West of Hudson lines
Pascack Valley Line. Weekday rush-hour service from NJ
Transit’s Hoboken Terminal to Spring Valley, N.Y., 31 miles.
Serves 16 stations, 3 of them in New York state.
Port Jervis Line. Daily service from NJ Transit’s Hoboken
Terminal to Port Jervis, N.Y., 95 miles. Serves 22 stations, 9
of them in New York state.
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