Megaproject Upgrades 'Heart' Of Metro-North Operations In Westchester

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — Metro-North is celebrating its best single-month on time performance in more than four decades and officials say there is every reason to believe the trend will continue, thanks in part to a massive behind-the-scenes investment at a Westchester County facility.

Gov. Kathy Hochul was on hand to celebrate the completion of upgrades to MTA Metro-North Railroad's maintenance and operations hub at Croton-on-Hudson. The massive facility employs 1,200 workers and with the opening of the new 400,000-square-foot facility, known as the Harmon Shop, Metro-North expects to be able to maintain train reliability and meet the maintenance needs of its operations well into the future.

"Today’s announcement builds on our commitment to ensuring our transit systems remain safe, effective and rider-friendly," Hochul said. "These upgrades are investments for the railroad to operate reliably for the public, with trains arriving on time and with enough cars to carry all the passengers who want to ride."

The project, which was funded with state and federal dollars, modernized the railroad’s heart of operations. When Metro-North inherited the site from its predecessor railroads in 1983, it was considered inadequate to meet the needs of crews who would maintain the railroad’s fleets of rail cars and locomotives. The MTA set out to find capital funds to make upgrades in the late 1990s, and work has been underway since 2001 to make those necessary upgrades.

"The Harmon Yard is the heart of Metro-North's operations, and the timing of this project completion could not be better," Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi said. "Metro-North is currently in the middle of an impressive streak – four straight years with an on-time performance of at least 97 percent. Now, with a completed Harmon Yard, the railroad can continue to deliver exceptional service to the tens of thousands daily riders."

The final phase of the project included the construction of a brand-new facility that includes repair and support shops. The new facility allows Metro-North to perform its "Reliability Centered Maintenance" program and account for unscheduled repairs on their entire electric fleet.

The state-of-the-art facility has been equipped with a dozen car-hoists, four pedestal tracks, and multiple door level and roof level platforms to assist in the preventive maintenance. The second floor is designed to streamline the parts distribution between the new electric shop and adjacent support shops and the maintenance shop by integrating a service corridor connecting all three buildings.

"This is sort of long-term investment is what it takes to bring a century-old system into the modern age," MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. "Thanks to this sustained capital investment, Metro-North riders will benefit for decades to come."

For more than a century, the Harmon Yard has played a vital role in the railroad’s daily operations. Through Metro-North’s foresight and diligent planning, design and construction, the project was completed over 23 years in five phases.

"As we celebrate the Harmon Shop, we're not just witnessing the expansion of a facility; we're witnessing the reinforcement of Metro-North's commitment to excellence and reliability," Westchester County Executive George Latimer said. "I thank the Governor for her dedication to providing safe, efficient and dependable transportation for commuters who rely on Metro-North every day."