Metro-North Hudson Line service would get boost under new Gov. Hochul proposal
Jan. 6, 2025, 9:53 a.m.
The governor said her plan would speed up travel times while expanding rail capacity and infrastructure.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is slated to outline her policy agenda in her annual State of the State address next week, and as part of it, she says she will pitch a "major investment" in Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line, which carries thousands of commuters daily between Manhattan and Poughkeepsie.
"Hudson Valley commuters deserve fast, high-quality rail service they can count on, and the investments I am proposing we make today will drive transformational change for generations to come,” Hochul said in a statement on Sunday. “Over the coming years, these much-needed infrastructure improvements will allow us to modernize our rail system, increase connectivity, reduce travel time and strengthen economic connections across the region."
The governor's proposal includes planning out upgrades like signal and track enhancements at the Croton-Harmon station in Westchester County, capacity increases at Poughkeepsie Yard in Dutchess County, and adding a track at Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx, where Amtrak’s Empire Service overlaps with Metro-North’s Hudson Line. If implemented, the changes would promote safety, lower potential travel times by up to 15 minutes for some trips, and cut "super-express" trips to less than 90 minutes, Hochul said.
The MTA, which operates Metro-North, will also advance a signaling redesign near the Yonkers station and resiliency projects in the sections of the Hudson Line that have the highest ridership and are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, according to Hochul's office. Transit officials said weather-related events in recent years have underscored the need to bolster the line against risks like mudslides and flooding.
Ridership has been increasing on the Hudson Line, with the MTA reporting more than 12 million rides in 2023, up 21% from the roughly 10 million rides the year before. Bronx ridership to and from Manhattan rose nearly 18% on the line over that period, Metro-North data shows.
Hochul's office said the MTA was prepared to design other possible rail improvements, including adding a third track to Metro-North's Harlem Line and connecting Hudson Line service to Penn Station in Manhattan, thanks to funding in the transit agency's 2025-29 capital plan. The MTA will also create a regional rail working group with the state transportation department, New Jersey, Connecticut and other partners to better integrate transit services and get ready for the 2026 World Cup, which officials say could draw about 1 million people to the New York City area.
The governor's announcement comes as the long-awaited congestion pricing program gets underway in Manhattan. The tolls are expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue for the MTA, which has pledged to use the money on various infrastructure and service improvements.
Metro-North's overall average weekday ridership was more than 200,000 as of November, or 81% of pre-pandemic levels in November 2019, according to Hochul's office. Average weekend ridership was more than 122,000, or 94% of pre-pandemic levels.
The governor is scheduled to deliver her State of the State address on Jan. 14 in Albany.
As congestion pricing launches, New Yorkers say they're eager for better, safer subways Congestion pricing launches in NYC with $9 fee on Manhattan drivers NY comptroller audit criticizes MTA’s extreme weather preparedness, calls for improvements