arrives in New York after workers are typically expected in their offices - make them inconvenient for many commuters. “To say that they’ve got 99 minute express trains, for a handful of stations, is not delivering on the governor’s promise, it’s just not.”Ĭameron argued that the timing of the new express trains - two of the three leave before 6 a.m., while the third, at 7:52 a.m. “The way they’re achieving that is by skipping a bunch of stops,” said Jim Cameron, the president of the Commuter Action Group, which advocates for mass transit. (A weekend express train, which began running last year, makes the run in up to 106 minutes, with stops in Milford, Bridgeport and Harlem).Ĭritics of the railroad’s operations, however, argue that the new express trains are simply window-dressing over the structural issues that have for decades slowed trains along the New Haven Line, and stymied promises of shorter commutes for Connecticut residents and workers. Metro North operates six of the new express trains daily - three in the morning toward New York, and three in the evening in the opposite direction - with stops in Bridgeport and Stamford. The new express trains, which debuted in July, reduced peak-hour commutes by 10 to 12 minutes by slashing the number of stops between New Haven and New York from five to two on the quickest routes, according to a review of train schedules. Ned Lamont’s promise to reduce travel times by at least 10 minutes by the end of this year.īut finding ways to shave another 15 minutes from the trip - part of Lamont’s longer-term vision for the state’s busiest rail line - will likely prove much more difficult and costly, according to experts and the state’s own planning documents. NEW HAVEN - Departing Union Station at 5:09 in the morning, the fastest of Metro-North’s new “ super express” trains into Grand Central Terminal makes the trip in as little as 99 minutes, the quickest commute between the two cities in years and the fulfillment of Gov.

Ned Lamont's promise to reduce travel times by at least 10 minutes by the end of this year. The fastest of Metro-North's new 'super express' trains from New Haven to Grand Central Terminal makes the trip in as little as 99 minutes, fulfilling Gov.

Passengers board a Metro-North train at the station in Stamford, Conn.

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