Metro-North news release 9/25/17:
New Metro-North Hudson and Harlem Line Schedules Take Effect on Sunday, October 8 to Improve ReliabilityNew Schedules Reflect Completion of Improvement Projects
MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced that very minor schedule adjustments to certain Harlem Line and Hudson Line trains take effect on Sunday, October 8. These schedule changes reflect the completion of a right-of-way improvement project on the Harlem Line between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood in Westchester County on the Harlem Line and switch-replacement work just south of the Beacon station on the Upper Hudson Line.
Metro-North crews undertook an 18 week comprehensive track improvement project that took one of three tracks between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood out of service, reducing operating capacity. To address the reduced track capacity, schedules of a small number of peak-period trains were temporarily adjusted, mostly between one and six minutes.
Working with minimal disruption to customers, Metro-North crews completed the track project on schedule and made extensive upgrades to the Harlem Line, including: replacing over 1,900 ties, resurfacing track, replacing almost 1,200 feet of rail, putting in stone ballast, drainage improvements and general clean-up of the area along the tracks.
With the completion of the project, all three tracks will be back in service, and Metro-North will restore all previous peak-period schedules, reducing the running times that were lengthened due to the track work.
All new fall schedule adjustments are three minutes or less. In its efforts to continually improve on-time performance, Metro-North thoroughly reviews train schedules and actual performance to address sources of delay, eliminate schedule conflicts and more accurately reflect operating conditions. The railroad then makes minor time modifications to reduce the likelihood of cascading delays.
Details of the changes are as follows:
Harlem Line:
- With the completion of significant portions of the Harlem Line Right-of-Way Improvement Project, Metro-North is restoring all previous a.m. and p.m. peak period schedules on the Harlem Line.
- Eight outbound local and express trains will operate 3 minutes earlier, with no changes in running times, to improve spacing between trains and on-time performance of New Haven Line outbound trains.
- Some Harlem Line departures are shifted to provide adequate time for following New Haven Line trains to maintain their schedules.
Hudson Line:
- With the completion of switch-replacement work near Beacon, weekend upper Hudson Line trains will be restored to their previous schedules.
- Four a.m. peak inbound Croton-Harmon local trains will have 1 minute added their schedules between Croton-Harmon and Hastings-on-Hudson to ensure that these trains pass key junctions on-time en route to Grand Central Terminal.
Related topic: MNRR Hudson; Harlem line schedule changes for track work 6/4 - 10/7