The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is announcing the New Haven Line (NHL) spring construction schedule, which will begin on Sunday, April 14, 2019, to accommodate Metro-North track maintenance and CTDOT capital projects including bridge replacement and new interlockings. There are changes to train times on weekdays and weekends.
The New Haven Line capital investment program is designed to improve the reliability of the railroad and set the stage for higher speed train service over the next several years. CTDOT has been working with Metro-North to minimize train conflicts and unexpected train delays. During the 2019 construction season, travel times from Connecticut to Grand Central will increase temporarily, as trains will be required to slow down through work zones. The minutes of additional travel time will vary by time of day and for each train. Metro-North will restore train schedules at the conclusion of the construction season.
The schedule will be in effect beginning April 14. The full train schedule is available on the Metro-North website at http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/planning/schedules/schedules.htm.
Highlights of the New Haven Line schedule adjustment are:
- AM Peak, 48 mainline trains depart initial stations between 1-10 minutes earlier and have schedules lengthened by 1-6 minutes, depending on the trip length.
- PM Peak, 42 mainline trains depart GCT at the same time as today and have their schedules lengthened by 1-6 minutes, depending on the trip length.
- Off-Peak and Nights, 83 westbound trains depart their initial station between 10 minutes earlier and 4 minutes later and have their schedules lengthened by 1-11 minutes, depending on the trip length and the time of day, while 53 eastbound trains depart GCT at the same time as today and have their schedules lengthened by 1-11 minutes, depending on trip length and the time of day.
- Weekends, westbound trains depart their initial station up to 10 minutes earlier and have their schedules lengthened by 2-10 minutes, depending on the trip length. Eastbound trains depart GCT at the same time as today and have their schedules lengthened by 2-10 minutes, depending on the trip length.
- For Memorial Day weekend, there are 19 early-getaway trains on Friday, May 24: Six on the Hudson Line, three on the Harlem Line and 10 on the New Haven Line. Later in the peak period, 16 trains are deleted or combined with other trains: Three on the Hudson Line, five on the Harlem Line and eight on the New Haven Line.
- On Memorial Day, May 27, Metro-North will operate a Sunday schedule.
For more information on the new service or changes to the existing service, customers should consult the new train schedules on-line at http://www.mta.info/mnr .