Complex Commute To Continue For Metro-North Hudson Line Riders
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – The Metro-North Rail Road will continue to provide shuttle buses and direct Hudson Line commuters to subway trains Tuesday, following the derailment in the Bronx that left four people dead.
As was the case Monday, the railroad will shuttle commuters between Yonkers and the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street No. 1 line subway terminal. Hudson Line service will operate only between Poughkeepsie and Yonkers.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials advised for a second day that travelers should telecommute or carpool if possible. Passengers are also advised to take the Harlem or New Haven Line if possible, and Hudson Line tickets will be cross-honored on the two lines.
NJ TRANSIT will also cross-honor Hudson Line tickets on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines.
Crowded conditions should be expected, the agency said.
In conjunction with Westchester and Putnam counties, special parking also has been set up to accommodate additional drivers at the Southeast Station and at the Kenisco Dam close to the Valhalla station.
"This is an extremely challenging time for all of us," Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman and chief executive officer Thomas F. Prendergast said in a news release. "We want to thank Governor (Andrew) Cuomo for his leadership during this crisis and the New York Police Department and the New York Fire Department for their quick response and expert assistance in dealing with this tragic incident."
On an average weekday, about 26,000 commuters ride the Hudson Line. On Monday morning, they said their commute was longer, but had no complaints.
"It wasn't too bad, but I'm just running late for work," one rider told CBS 2's Janelle Burrell.
Cuomo: Metro-North Riders Should 'Plan On Long Commute'
"A ferry to the train to the bus to another train to the subway, so it's going to take me a long time to get down to Wall Street," said Lenae Madonna of Haverstraw. "It's going to be an extra hour and I already have a two hour commute every day, each way."
LINKS: Check Traffic | Metro-North
"It was very smooth," one commuter said.
"The ride was not that bad. It's more about the people that passed away, this is a minor inconvenience. It's not a big deal," said commuter John Gehebe.
Cuomo: Metro-North Riders Should 'Plan On Long Commute'
On Sunday morning, a train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central traveling on the Hudson line derailed near the Spuyten Duyvil station. It ran off the rails around 7:20 a.m. while rounding a bend where the Harlem and Hudson rivers meet. The lead car landed inches from the water. Four people were killed and more than 60 were injured.
Regular Hudson Line service remains suspended until further notice as the investigation continues and repairs are made, the MTA said.
"One of the three tracks in that area was not badly damaged at all and we have to of course test it and make sure that it's perfect, but once we get all this other junk out of the way we may be able to resume service on a single track," Metro-North spokesperson Margie Anders told 1010 WINS. "I don't want to estimate when that will happen but it's days, not weeks."
MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said Monday that 2,200 people used shuttle buses between the Yonkers station and No. 1 subway train. Ridership on the Harlem line was up 25 percent.
Rail service on Monday was unaffected for Connecticut commuters on the New Haven line and riders on the Harlem line.
Grand Central Terminal was calm Monday morning, with no confusion or long lines. Customer service agents for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority helped riders rearrange trips.
Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
