Metro-North to expand off-peak, weekend service

Awesome news.

Metro-North’s largest service expansion in the railroad’s history will start Oct. 14 with the introduction of 79 additional trains each week, officials said Thursday.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20121005/N ... |Frontpage

Check this thread from July for some more info on the service increases: MTA: $29m for New and Restored Service.

Great news that MN is adding more trains. I just hope they have the fleet to do it!!! My concern is more trains operating means less time for them to be serviced.

Can't wait to see the new schedule, more weekend service to the outer NH Line is a welcome addition.

Here's a look at what's new and changing on the New Haven Line:

MTA wrote:In the AM Peak:
•On the Danbury Branch, the 6:51 AM train from Danbury will no longer stop at Rowayton, Darien or Noroton Heights. This will result in a 10-minute faster ride for those of you commuting from the Danbury Branch and relieve crowding on this train. A new train will depart South Norwalk at 7:50 AM, stopping at Rowayton, Darien, Noroton Heights and Stamford, and then operate as an express to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central Terminal. This addition closes a 25-minute gap in express service at Stamford!

•The 8:29 AM train from Harrison to Grand Central will originate at Stamford and make all local stops to New York, providing a new one-seat ride for intermediate customers. (If you currently ride the 8:29 AM from Harrison, your commute will not be affected, as the train will continue to make the same stops.)

•The 8:12 AM train from Port Chester to Grand Central will originate at Stamford and make all local stops through Port Chester, before continuing on its current schedule. This change closes a 28-minute gap in service!

In the PM Peak:
•The 4:26 PM train to Harrison will depart one minute later, at 4:27 PM, and continue to Stamford, providing intermediate customers with a new one-seat ride!

•The 4:40 PM to New Haven will no longer stop at Greenwich. If you are traveling to Greenwich, take the 4:34 PM or 4:43 PM trains from Grand Central instead. (If you took this train from Greenwich for stations between Noroton Heights and Fairfield Metro, your train will now depart five minutes earlier and you will need to change trains at Stamford.)

In the AM Reverse Peak:
•A new AM Reverse Peak train departs Grand Central at 6:26 AM, stopping at Harlem-125th Street, Fordham, Mount Vernon East, New Rochelle, Rye, Port Chester, Greenwich and Stamford. This train provides a new semi-express option for those of you traveling to jobs in lower Westchester, Greenwich and Stamford.

•A new AM Reverse Peak train departs Grand Central at 8:07 AM, making stops at Harlem-125th Street, Fordham, Rye, Port Chester, Greenwich, Stamford, and all stops on the New Canaan Branch.

•The 8:07 AM New Haven train now departs at 8:04 AM and will no longer stop at Fordham, Rye, Port Chester, and Greenwich, providing those of you traveling to Stamford with a five-minute faster ride.

In the Off Peak:
•The 9:35 AM train from Bridgeport to Grand Central will operate 16 minutes earlier, reducing a 60-minute gap in service!

On Weekends:
•We are extending half-hourly service between Grand Central and New Haven by three hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday to accommodate our growing weekend ridership.

•New semi-express trains depart New Haven at 12:31 PM, 1:31 PM, and 5:29 PM, stopping at our busiest stations on the way to Stamford, before proceeding to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central. This change enables us to provide inbound half-hourly service on the outer New Haven Line from 7 AM through 6 PM on Saturdays, and through 7 PM on Sundays (except between the hours of 2 PM and 4 PM).

•New semi-express trains will depart Grand Central for New Haven at 3:34 PM, 8:34 PM and 9:34 PM, running express to Stamford and then making stops at the busiest stations on the way to New Haven. We will now provide outbound half-hourly service on the outer New Haven Line from 3 PM through 10 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

•On Saturdays, to once again accommodate growing ridership, half-hourly service between Grand Central and Stamford is being extended by one hour in the evening. A new local train will depart Stamford at 9:43 PM, making all stops to Mount Vernon East, then Fordham, Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central Terminal. This change enables us to provide inbound half-hourly service on the inner New Haven Line from 6 AM through 10 PM. A new local train will depart Grand Central Terminal at 8:10 PM, making stops at Fordham, Mount Vernon East, and then all stops to Stamford. This change lets us provide outbound half-hourly service on the inner New Haven Line from 6:30 AM though 9 PM.

•On Sundays, half-hourly service will be offered between Grand Central and Stamford from 11 AM until 5 PM inbound, and from 1:30 PM until 7:30 PM outbound. (Until now, we have offered only hourly Stamford local service on Sundays.)

•Finally, to accommodate requests from the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT), hourly off-peak and weekend trains will make all stops between New Haven and Stamford, providing all main line stations with hourly service during these periods. (Trains departing New Haven and Grand Central on the half-hour will not make these additional stops.)

See full details here: New October 14 Schedules Start Record Service Improvements

The actual schedules aren't posted yet on their website, but I'll keep a lookout for them.

October 14 schedules have been posted on MTA website.

http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/planning/s ... edules.htm