Connecticut residents commuting to New York City are getting faster train service after the Metro-North Railroad modernized signal systems, helping to cut travel times by 10 minutes on some trains.
A 5:08 a.m. weekday train from New Haven with stops in Bridgeport and Stamford arrives at Grand Central Terminal in 88 minutes while a 6:26 p.m. weekday train returns to New Haven eight minutes earlier than previous schedules, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s subways, buses, Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.
The faster service, which started Sunday, means that some Metro-North trains are beating Amtrak’s Acela by three minutes between New Haven and New York City, according to Justin Vonashek, president of Metro-North.
“The result is time back in your day,” Janno Lieber, the MTA’s chief executive officer, told reporters Tuesday at Grand Central Terminal.
Using positive train control, which helps prevent collisions, and rail simulation, Metro-North officials were able to find faster routing patterns. The transit agency also modernized signals along the route, which allows trains to pick up speed.
Metro-North connects New York City to its northern suburbs and southwestern Connecticut, serving about 230,000 trips on weekdays, according to MTA data.
The improved service comes after the MTA on Jan. 5 implemented a new congestion pricing toll to drive onto Manhattan’s busiest streets. Motorists with an E-ZPass now pay a $9 toll during peak hours to drive into the congestion-pricing zone, which runs south off 60th Street.
The transit agency anticipates the new toll will provide $500 million annually that it will borrow against to raise $15 billion for transit infrastructure improvements and renovations.
