Express Trains To Poughkeepsie Pulling Into The Station Ahead Of Schedule

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Manhattan is about to get a lot closer for some Hudson Valley commuters, and a lot sooner than expected.

Plans to launch express Metro-North service between Poughkeepsie, Beacon and Manhattan have been moving full-speed ahead, but it turns out that the express trains will arrive (and depart) well ahead of projections.

In her 2025 State of the State, Governor Hochul proposed investments in Hudson Valley rail service that would increase capacity, reduce delays, improve safety and cut travel times. This proposal included shortening "super-express" Metro-North Hudson Line trips to less than 90 minutes. The express trips were expected to launch in 2026, but the work was completed early, allowing for the faster service to now begin Oct. 6.

The improvements to Metro-North's signaling infrastructure have allowed the railroad to increase train speeds and reduce the effect of speed restrictions along the Hudson Line, resulting in improved run times for some trains and leading the way for the express service.

Five Metro-North trips between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central will be shortened to less than 90 minutes and one trip down to 95 minutes — the fastest Harlem Line trips ever between the two cities.

"Delivering better, faster Metro-North service to Hudson Valley commuters will propel economic growth across our state and improve quality of life," Hochul said announcing the new express service. "These new super-express trains will save commuters nearly 15 minutes of travel time every day, giving riders back over an hour a week of their precious time. This is just the start — work remains underway to deliver even more service improvements along the line, improving reliability and making trips up and down the Hudson Valley even faster."

While fast trains are good news, the governor also announced extra trains for those who want to take their time and enjoy the fall colors along the Hudson Line.

The new schedules feature the return of the "Leaf Peeper" trains, providing extra service for customers planning to enjoy the fall foliage in the Hudson Valley. In addition to the "super-express" travel time improvements on the Hudson Line, extra weekend service returns for day-trippers heading to the scenic Hudson River Valley. Between October 5 and November 9, five additional trains will run between Grand Central, Beacon and Poughkeepsie on Saturdays and Sundays.

And the Sound Shore isn't left out of the Metro-North holiday bonuses either. Between Nov 29 and Jan. 4, the New Haven Line "Shopper Specials" trains return. Eight additional trains will run on Saturdays, and four additional trains will run on Sundays between Grand Central and New Haven.