Metro-North will provide additional trains this afternoon to accommodate customers and alleviate crowded conditions on some Friday morning trains.
Metro-North decided to operate a Saturday schedule Feb. 14 because snow conditions on the roads, in the parking lots and on the tracks led officials to believe that there would be fewer commuters and that the trains would run better with more time for clean-up and more space between.
However, railroad officials announced at 2:30 p.m. that they will augment that service with additional trains from Grand Central, bringing available capacity up to 77 percent of normal.
As of 11 a.m., Metro-North ridership was 68 percent of a normal
weekday, officials said in a statement.
Metro-North operated a Saturday schedule on Friday morning, representing 40 percent of regular weekday morning rush service, as a result of the winter storm that left more than a foot of snow in many portions of the railroad’s service area. The railroad also ran 14 extra trains through the
morning – nine on the New Haven Line, four on the Harlem Line and one on the Hudson Line – bringing service up to 55 percent of normal.
“Based on forecasts of up to a foot of snow falling overnight, we were conservative in planning schedules to help reduce the chances that trains could become stranded or would have to be canceled,” said Joseph Giulietti, President of Metro-North Railroad. “When the sun shone through this morning, we had more customers than anticipated, particularly on the New Haven Line. We apologize for this morning’s crowding and expect to do better this afternoon.”
Train times are available on Metro-North’s schedules page. Customers should also check mta.info Service Status and the news media for updates, listen for station announcements, sign up for email alerts, and download the Metro-North Train Time App for iPhone and Android.
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