Metro-North riders will have to contend with 30% fewer seats on parts of the New Haven Line on weekends, transit officials said.
The cuts on the New Haven Line are planned for Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18, when construction at the Walk Bridge in Norwalk, Connecticut, will sharply limit service east of Stamford, according to the MTA.
Riders traveling along the New Haven Line between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal should allow extra travel time and expect crowding as there will be fewer trains available than on a typical weekend, the MTA warned.
The schedule changes are so crews can remove two 234-foot-tall utility towers and overhead wire systems on the 130-year-old WALK Bridge, which crosses the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut.
“The WALK Bridge Replacement Program continues to make progress, with work this fall marking a major milestone for a new, modern, resilient bridge along the Northeast Corridor,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. “The Northeast Corridor is vital to Connecticut and the region, and this project delivers much needed, long-term improvements.”
Connecticut transportation officials recommend that New York-bound passengers park at Stamford or South Norwalk and catch a train from there.
Local service between Grand Central and Stamford, including stops in Westchester County and Greenwich, will be mostly unaffected, except for a schedule adjustment to one Saturday morning train.
The East Norwalk station is also closed through Oct. 18, with no trains stopping in either direction. Passengers can use South Norwalk or Westport instead.
Transportation officials advise travelers to check train schedules before traveling.
Metro-North also has changes on other routes in October.
Port Jervis Line riders have contended with buses replacing certain midday weekday trains since Sept. 14. The replacements will continue through Nov. 13 as crews continue to repair the tracks.
On the Port Jervis Line on the weekend, buses have replaced trains between Port Jervis and Ramsey Route 17 in New Jersey, with New York-bound passengers switching from buses to trains at Ramsey. Those replacements will continue through Oct. 11.
Meanwhile Metro-North plans to run extra weekend trains on the Hudson Line between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley from Oct. 4 through Nov. 8 , MTA said, as autumn-lovers travel upstate to see the leaves.
