Riding Metro-North in CT: What to know about fares, train times, stations

Metro-North Railroad, operated by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, takes Connecticut commuters and visitors through the state and into New York City.

Though ridership on the train’s New Haven Line fell dramatically in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been increasing ever since — though it is still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, the New Haven Line reported nearly 29 million rides , an increase of 25 percent above the previous year and almost 136 percent above 2020 ridership. However, that number is still nearly 29 percent below pre-pandemic levels: In 2019, the New Haven Line reported over 40 million rides.

Here’s what to know about riding Metro-North’s New Haven Line in 2024.

Which Connecticut towns does Metro-North service?

The New Haven Line makes stops along the Connecticut shoreline in cities such as Stamford, Darien, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Milford and West Haven before ending its journey at New Haven Union Station.

The line also has three branches that serve inland southwestern Connecticut towns: the New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch. Those branches require riders to transfer trains at stations such as Stamford or South Norwalk.

How often do Metro-North trains run?

Trains generally run every half-hour on weekdays, though service increases during the morning and afternoon rush hours and decreases overnight.

On weekends, trains into New York City tend to run roughly every half-hour, while trains out of the city run every hour early in the day and every half-hour beginning at 11 a.m.

How much do train tickets cost?

Costs vary based on station of origin and destination, as well as time of travel. “Peak” tickets, which apply to rides during traditional rush hour — roughly 6-8:30 a.m. and 4-7:30 p.m. on weekdays — are around 35% more expensive than rides outside of those hours.

Rides into New York City are also much pricier than rides within Connecticut.

For example, a one-way peak ticket from New Haven’s Union Station to Grand Central costs $24.50, while a one-way off-peak trip costs $18.25. Likewise, a one-way peak ticket from Waterbury to Grand Central costs $21.75, and a one-way off-peak trip costs $16.

But a one-way ticket from Union Station to Stamford costs $8.75, and from Waterbury to Stamford costs $7, regardless of whether the trip is taken during a peak or off-peak time.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the station or via the MTA TrainTime App . Buying a ticket onboard the train is possible, but costs an extra $5.75-$6.50.

Frequent train riders can save by buying weekly, monthly or 10-trip passes. Discounts for seniors, children, military personnel and residents who are disabled and/or on Medicare are available.

The MTA has a tool to price out how much a ride would cost and whether a rider would save by purchasing a multi-day pass. That tool can be found here .

The Connecticut Department of Transportation raised fares by an average of 4.5% across the New Haven Line, as well as the Hartford and Shore Line East rail lines, last November.

How reliable are the New Haven Line trains?

MTA data shows that in 2023, 97.4 percent of New Haven Line trains were on time, which it defines as a train that arrives at its final destination less than 6 minutes after its scheduled arrival time.

The percentage of on-time rides has increased so far in 2024 — data shows the on-time rate has averaged 98.38 percent during the first six months of this year.

When delays do occur, they have a range of explanations. This year, trains have arrived late due to a freight train engine catching fire , a train getting tangled in wires and a “ signal delay .”