Metro-North train service set for major expansion

Off-peak and weekend ridership on the Metro-North Railroad is growing -- so much so that the MTA plans to add 230 trains, the majority of them east of the Hudson River.

For riders, that means a chance to catch a train every half-hour -- instead of every hour -- from suburban platforms heading into the city, as well as from Grand Central Station.

For the MTA, it means overseeing the largest expansion of train service in more than 30 years.

News of changes got a warm reception from riders yesterday.

Hearing there will be more trains on weekends and at night, Bill Winters was delighted. He is a computer programmer from the village of Irvington who rides Metro-North into Manhattan a couple of days a week, frequently at off hours and on weekends. He was at the Ardsley-on-Hudson stop on the Harlem line.

"I think that's a great idea, especially on the weekends when the wait time is usually longer," Winters said. "I just hope they don't increase the fares."

At the Tarrytown station, 26-year-old Hector Rivera was equally appreciative. Rivera is a security guard who works nights in the city and takes the train six days a week. He was happy to hear there will likely be more trains around the time he gets out of work in the early morning.

"It's no fun waiting for a train after working 10 hours on the graveyard shift," the Tarrytown man said.

Officials at the railroad project a "record ridership" of more than 85 million this year, the highest number of riders ever on the Metro-North.

"We are gratified to be able to add service where it's most needed -- on weekends, and in the off-peak periods," said Metro-North president Howard Permut in a statement issued Thursday. "By establishing 30-minute headways where we now offer only hourly service, we make the railroad an even more attractive choice and we expect ridership to grow even more as a result of these initiatives."

Unfortunately for daily commuters, peak riders, and Manhattan-bound workers departing from Rockland County, the expansion is unlikely to make it easier to find a seat on Metro-North trains.

Of the 230 new trains, 220 will run on lines east of the Hudson River, according to the MTA. Most will also run off-peak. The other 10 lines will run west of the Hudson, including new Metro-North/NJTRANSIT peak trains on the Passaic Valley line.

That's because the biggest growth is among people who ride Metro-North trains on weekend and off-peak hours. Ridership on weekend and off-peak hours is increasing at a rate of about 6 percent each year, the MTA said.

East of the Hudson River, the number of trains running on Saturdays will increase from 418 to 442, and on Sundays from 357 to 413.

Most of the new lines will be in service by April 2013. Among the additions:

• A dozen new trains run on the Harlem Line Sundays between North White Plains and Grand Central starting in October, helping accommodate increased ridership on that line during the fall and winter shopping seasons.

• Grand Central Station-bound trains departing from Southeast in Putnam County will run every half-hour starting in April 2012, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Six additional trains will run along that line on Sundays.

• The upper Harlem Line will get 17 new weekday trains and four new trains each on Saturday and Sunday. Included in the increased weekday trains are six express trains intended to alleviate near-capacity ridership.

• Weekend schedules on the Hudson Line will be beefed up, with a dozen new trains running on Saturdays and six new trains on Sundays. Metro-North will also add 11 more weekday trains on the Hudson Line starting in April 2013.

• The MTA will trim delays at the Croton-Harmon station, which currently require riders to wait an average of 26 minutes for a connecting train to New York. Southbound commuters will have a direct connection at Croton-Harmon, allowing them to immediately board without waiting, according to Metro-North.

• New Haven Line riders will get a whopping 20 new trains on Sundays and eight new trains on Saturdays, a change that will "increase the frequency to every 30 minutes from both New Haven and Stamford at most times of the day." The New Haven Line, which runs through Westchester's Sound Shore communities, is among several lines that see increased ridership during the holiday shopping season, the MTA said.

• Outbound seasonal service will increase as well on the New Haven Line, with eight new trains running from Grand Central Station to Stamford beginning in April 2013. The new lines will "accommodate traditionally higher ridership outbound from New York City" as Manhattanites take spring and summer day trips.