MTA Metro-North Railroad (MNR) on May 10 reported completing a 23-year, five-phase upgrade project at its Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.-based maintenance and operations hub, which employs 1,200 people. With the opening of the 400,000 square-foot Harmon Shop, the commuter railroad said it will be able to “maintain train reliability and meet the maintenance needs of its operations for decades to come.”
When MNR inherited the site from its predecessor railroads in 1983, “it was immediately recognized as inadequate” to meet railcar and locomotive maintenance needs, according to the railroad. Parent company New York MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) identified capital funds for upgrades in the late 1990s, it said, and the work, covered by both state and federal funding, has been under way since 2001.
The final phase of the project included construction of a new facility that includes repair and support shops, which MNR said will allow it to perform its Reliability Centered Maintenance program and account for unscheduled repairs on its entire electric fleet. According to the railroad, the facility has been equipped with 12 car hoists, four pedestal tracks, and multiple door-level and roof-level platforms to assist with preventive maintenance. The second floor was said to be designed to streamline parts distribution between the new electric shop and adjacent support shops and the consist maintenance shop by integrating a service corridor connecting all three buildings.
Built in the early 1900’s by New York Central Railroad, the 100-acre Croton-Harmon Shops and Yard complex “has played a vital role” in railroad operations, according to MNR. The five phases of its upgrade have covered:
- Phase 1: Crews built service tracks, a new employee overpass, and provided wayside power to the yard “to significantly reduce the idling engines in the yard, reducing noise to the surrounding neighbors and producing less fossil fuel emissions,” MNR said.
- Phase 2: Crews built Communication & Maintenance-of-Way buildings and modified the Material Distribution Center.
- Phase 3: Crews built a new Coach Shop and new Locomotive Shop, as well as a new Wheel True Facility with a Tandem Underfloor Wheel Lathe to maintain MNR’s fleet of M-7 self-propelled electric railcars from Bombardier, which was acquired by Alstom in 2021.
- Phase 4: Provided for “priority repairs” on a multi-purpose building to house shops, primarily on the western section of the building (which remained operational during construction), as well as the construction of a new Wheel Storage Canopy in the north yard, according to MNR.
- Phase 5: Provided the complete replacement of the multi-purpose building in two stages. The first stage constructed a new double-ended Consist Shop with two tracks, each being 10-cars long. The second stage included construction of the EMU Running Repair and Support shops.
Watch the MTA video below showcasing the improvements:
“Metro-North service has never been better—99% on time performance so far this year,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said during the May 10 announcement. “A big reason is the way our car fleet is being maintained and repaired here at the Harmon Shop—a world class facility second to none.”
“The Harmon Yard is the heart of MNR’s operations, and the timing of this project completion could not be better,” MNR President Catherine Rinaldi said. “MNR is currently in the middle of an impressive streak—four straight years with an on-time performance of at least 97%. Now, with a completed Harmon Yard, the railroad can continue to deliver exceptional service to the tens of thousands daily riders.”
“This 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, MNR riders will benefit for decades to come.”
In a related development, MTA on May 10 also announced the launch of a pilot program, which it said would “enhance the reach” of MNR to Orange and Rockland counties, “as an alternative to driving to New York City.” With congestion pricing set to begin June 30, it said, MNR will begin weekend service on the Haverstraw-Ossining ferries for the first time; offer monthly UniTicket discounts of 78% to 90% on the ferries and buses that cross the Hudson River; and cut parking rates by 25% for Orange and Rockland residents using MNR’s garage in North White Plains, N.Y., which is served by its Harlem Line.
Starting May 25, the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry will operate continuously between 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekends. Traditionally, the ferry has operated only during weekday rush hours.
The pilot is expected to run through Nov. 11 (Veteran’s Day).
“It is no secret that the folks who live west of the Hudson River don’t get the same quality of frequency and reliability of service as we have on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines,” Janno Lieber said. “As we approach the onset of congestion pricing, we want to make sure there are a few more options for people in Orange and Rockland counties to get to this amazing MNR service.”
“We are thrilled to be able to offer weekend ferry service to West of Hudson residents looking to connect to MNR’s scenic Hudson Line service,” Catherine Rinaldi said. “And with discounted parking at our North White Plains parking garage, Orange and Rockland county residents who prefer the Harlem Line will have an added incentive to take MNR service into Manhattan or other destinations around the region.”
