New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is slated to outline her policy agenda in her annual State of the State address next week, and as part of it, she says she will pitch a 'major investment' in Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line, which carries thousands of commuters daily between Manhattan and Poughkeepsie.
'Hudson Valley commuters deserve fast, high-quality rail service they can count on, and the investments I am proposing we make today will drive transformational change for generations to come,” Hochul said in a statement on Sunday. “Over the coming years, these much-needed infrastructure improvements will allow us to modernize our rail system, increase connectivity, reduce travel time and strengthen economic connections across the region.' The governor's proposal includes planning out upgrades like a second track at the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx, signal and track enhancements at the Croton-Harmon station in Westchester County, and capacity increases at Poughkeepsie Yard in Dutchess County. If implemented, the changes would promote safety, lower potential travel times by up to 15 minutes for some trips, and cut 'super-express' trips to less than 90 minutes, Hochul said. The MTA, which operates Metro-North, will also advance a signaling redesign near the Yonkers station and resiliency projects in the sections of the Hudson Line that have the highest ridership and are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, according to Hochul's office. Transit officials said, ridership on the Hudson Line is up 21% from the roughly 10 million rides the year before. Bronx ridership to and from Manhattan rose nearly 18% on the line over that period, Metro-North data shows. Hochul's office said the MTA was prepared to design other possible rail improvements, including adding a third track to Metro-North's Harlem Line and connecting Hudson Line service to Penn Station in Manhattan, thanks to funding in the transit agency's 2025-29 capital plan