104-764: The Waterbury Branch is a branch of the Metro-North Railroad 's New Haven Line , running north from a junction in the Devon section of Milford to Waterbury, Connecticut . Originally built as the Naugatuck Railroad , it once continued north to Winsted . The part north of Waterbury is now leased from CTDOT by the Railroad Museum of New England , which operates excursion trains from Thomaston station through their operating subsidiary Naugatuck Railroad ( reporting mark NAUG ); this name
208-461: A Vermont company, AllEarth Rail, bought twelve 1959 Budd cars from Dallas Area Rapid Transit for $ 5 million. The cars had previously been owned by Via Rail Canada , which also bid on the lot. AllEarth said it planned to use the cars for commuter rail service in Vermont, possibly starting with a Burlington -to- Montpelier route. TriMet subsequently purchased two of these cars from AllEarth later
312-513: A United States speed record of 184 mph (296 km/h), although this experimental configuration was never used in regular service. The self-propelled railcar was not a new concept in North American railroading. Beginning in the 1880s railroads experimented with steam-powered railcars on branch lines, where the costs of operating a conventional steam locomotive -hauled set of cars was prohibitive. These cars failed for several reasons:
416-569: A complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories, and maps. The Harlem and Hudson lines and the Park Avenue mainline to Grand Central were previously owned by Midtown TDR Ventures LLC, who bought them from the corporate successors to Penn Central. The MTA had
520-622: A diesel train powered by Brookville BL20-GH locomotives. Electric service on the Hudson and Harlem lines uses M3 and M7 MU cars. The New Haven Line is unique in that trains use both third rail and 12.5 kV AC from overhead catenary . The line from Grand Central Terminal to Mount Vernon East uses third rail, while the section from Pelham east to New Haven State Street, which is 58 miles (93 km), uses overhead catenary. These electrification systems overlap between Mount Vernon East and Pelham stations and trains change power systems from one to
624-553: A heavily specialized, meter-gauge RDC design for the Taiwan Railway Administration under license from Budd. Designated the DR2800 series , the units are organized into 15 permanently-coupled three-car sets (30 powered driving cars and 15 trailers). Like other RDC trainsets before them, each cab unit only has a cab at one end and two cab units bracket a trailer in a standard set. Unlike other RDC sets, however,
728-666: A joint agreement between MTA and CTDOT, with the agencies paying for 33.3% and 66.7% of costs respectively. CTDOT pays more because most of the line is in Connecticut. The New Haven Line has three branches in Connecticut: the New Canaan Branch , Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch . At New Haven, CTDOT runs two connecting services, the Shore Line East connecting service continues east to New London , and
832-775: A lease extending to the year 2274 and an option to buy starting in 2017. The MTA exercised their option to buy what was now Argent Ventures' rail assets on November 13, 2018. Under the terms of the deal, the MTA purchased Grand Central Terminal, as well as the Hudson Line from Grand Central to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Poughkeepsie, and the Harlem Line from Grand Central to Dover Plains. Most services running into Grand Central Terminal are electrically powered. Diesel trains into Grand Central use General Electric P32AC-DM electro-diesel locomotives capable of switching to
936-614: A mix of coach and sleeping accommodations. The design was popular with the public but undone by the difficult operating conditions on the D&;RGW. It was withdrawn in July 1942, apparently another failure. However, several technical advances during the Second World War encouraged Budd to try again. During the years of the Second World War , there were improvements in the lightweight Detroit Diesel engines and, just as importantly,
1040-639: A pure electric mode. These locomotives have contact shoes compatible with Metro-North's under-running 750 V DC third rail power distribution system. Shoreliner series coaches are used in push-pull operation. On the Hudson Line, local trains between Grand Central and Croton–Harmon are powered by third rail. Through trains to Poughkeepsie are diesel powered and do not require a change of locomotive at Croton-Harmon. The Harlem Line has third rail from Grand Central Terminal to Southeast and trains are powered by diesel north to Wassaic . At most times, passengers between Southeast and Wassaic must change at Southeast to
1144-523: A suitable combination of power and weight became available in 1938, although with more conventional steel wheels. In 1941 Budd built the Prospector for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad . This was a two-car diesel multiple unit . Each car had a pair of 192 horsepower (143 kW) diesel engines and was capable of independent operation. The cars were constructed of stainless steel and included
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#17327760903921248-579: A traditional diesel locomotive -drawn train with coaches. The cars could be used singly or coupled together in train sets and controlled from the cab of the front unit. The RDC was one of the few DMU trains to achieve commercial success in North America. RDC trains were an early example of self-contained diesel multiple unit trains, an arrangement now in common use by railways all over the world. Budd RDCs were sold to operators in North America, South America, Asia, and Australia. They saw extensive use in
1352-718: Is diesel only. Power is collected from the bottom of the third rail as opposed to the top, used by other third rail systems, including the Long Island Rail Road and New York City Subway. This system is known as the Wilgus-Sprague third rail, and the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line in Philadelphia and Metro-North are the only two systems in North America that use it. It allows the third rail to be completely insulated from above, thus decreasing
1456-875: Is operated under contract with the Connecticut Department of Transportation . Metro-North works under contract with New Jersey Transit for the west-of-hudson lines located in New Jersey and New York in Metro-North also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx . Metro-North is the descendant of commuter rail services dating back as early as 1832. By 1969, they had all been acquired by Penn Central . MTA acquired all three lines by 1972, but Penn Central continued to operate them under contract. Service
1560-805: The Iron Triangle Limited service from Adelaide to Whyalla and the Silver City Limited service from Broken Hill . The cars were withdrawn from service in 1990. As of 2024 , CB1 was preserved at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide ; CB2 and CB3 were privately owned. In 1961, Commonwealth Engineering built five RDC-1 derivative cars in Australia under licence for the New South Wales railways department . Four were self-propelled and one
1664-733: The South Coast Daylight Express between Sydney and Bomaderry . Age and mechanical problems led to the cars' conversion to locomotive-hauled coaches, beginning in 1982; the last self-propelled run occurred in 1986. RFFSA (Brazilian Federal Railways) purchased four RDC-1s and two RDC-2s in 1958. These were 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) gauge but otherwise standard configuration. RFFSA ordered 23 more cars in 1962–1963. Four of these were 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) gauge RDC-1s. The other 19 were 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) gauge and varied considerably from
1768-710: The Canadian National Railway for RDC-9s it purchased from the Boston and Maine Railroad . In 1956, Budd introduced a new version of the RDC, with several improvements. The new cars had more powerful versions of the Detroit Diesel 6-110 engines, each of which produced 300 horsepower (220 kW) instead of 275 horsepower (205 kW). They also featured higher-capacity air conditioning and more comfortable seating. The appearance changed slightly as well:
1872-684: The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad 's Memphis, Tennessee – Amarillo, Texas Choctaw Rocket and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 's Daylight Speedliner . The latter ran between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and included full dining service . A notable example of the RDC's flexibility occurred on the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines , where a single train would depart Camden, New Jersey and split into multiple trains to serve different destinations on
1976-827: The Cuban Revolution with the Ferrocarriles de Cuba and operated into the 1980s. At least one Cuban RDC-1 still existed in 2017, stripped of all mechanical components and serving as a passenger coach. The Arabian American Oil Company constructed a standard gauge railway in cooperation with the Saudi government. The company ordered three RDC-2s in 1951, supplemented by a fourth in 1958. The cars operated on various routes originating in Dammam . All were converted to unpowered trailers by 1965. Budd constructed 398 RDCs between 1949 and 1962. The table below does not include
2080-608: The Department of Railways New South Wales . They were shorter and narrower than the North American models. In the late 1970s Budd sought to replace the aging RDCs with a new design, the SPV-2000 . The body shell was based on an Amfleet coach, not the RDC. Like the RDC it was 85 feet (26 m) long, stainless steel, and powered by twin diesel engines. The design was beset with mechanical problems, and Budd sold only 30 cars. In 1966, Tokyu Car built 31 DR2700 series cars for
2184-611: The Hartford Line service continues north to Hartford , and Springfield, Massachusetts . Amtrak operates inter-city rail service along the New Haven and Hudson Lines. The New Haven Line is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor . Amtrak's Northeast Regional runs from New Rochelle to New Haven, while Stamford and New Haven are also served by the high-speed Acela . At New Haven, the New Haven Line connects to
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#17327760903922288-404: The Hartford Line . Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026. Metro-North Railroad [REDACTED] Map of the entire Metro-North Railroad system. This schematic is not to scale. The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company ( reporting mark MNCW ), also branded as MTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simply Metro-North , is a suburban commuter rail service operated by
2392-614: The Hartford and New Haven Railroad , which provided routes to Hartford , Springfield, Massachusetts, and eventually Boston . The two roads merged in 1872 to become the NYNH&;H, growing into the largest passenger and commuter carrier in New England. In the early 20th century, the NYNH&H came under the control of J.P. Morgan . Morgan's bankroll allowed the NYNH&H to modernize by upgrading steam power with both electric (along
2496-1147: The Lehigh Valley Railroad , and the Northwestern Pacific Railroad , where RDC service survived until the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Many RDCs remained in service throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Amtrak acquired 24 (including three from the Roger Williams ), mostly for use in Connecticut . The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) acquired the B&;M's fleet and continued operating them until 1985. The Alaska Railroad acquired five RDCs, three from SEPTA and two from Amtrak between 1984 and 1986. These were all sold or out of service by 2009. Trinity Railway Express acquired thirteen RDCs from Via Rail in 1993 for use on commuter service between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas . The Denton County Transportation Authority leased several for A-train service pending
2600-762: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York . Metro-North serves the New York Metropolitan Area , running service between New York City and its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut , including Port Jervis , Spring Valley , Poughkeepsie , Yonkers , New Rochelle , Mount Vernon , White Plains , Southeast and Wassaic in New York and Stamford , New Canaan , Danbury , Bridgeport , Waterbury , and New Haven in Connecticut. Service in Connecticut
2704-640: The Northeast United States , both on branch lines and in commuter service. As passenger service declined in the United States the RDC was often the last surviving conveyor of passengers on a particular route. Most RDCs were retired by the 1980s. In Canada, RDCs have remained in continuous use since their introduction in the 1950s. The RDC inspired several derivatives, including the unsuccessful Budd SPV-2000 . The New York Central Railroad installed two jet engines on an RDC in 1966 and set
2808-1042: The Pascack Valley Line . The Port Jervis Line is accessed from two NJ Transit lines, the Main Line and the Bergen County Line . The Port Jervis Line terminates in Port Jervis, New York, and the Pascack Valley line in Spring Valley, New York, in Orange and Rockland Counties, respectively. Trackage on the Port Jervis Line north of the Suffern Yard is leased from the Norfolk Southern Railway by
2912-668: The Sudbury–White River train in Ontario. Another Canadian purchaser of RDCs was the Pacific Great Eastern Railway , which operated passenger service between North Vancouver and Prince George . RDCs continued to operate on this route until all passenger service ended under BC Rail , PGE's successor, in 2002. Refurbished RDCs were considered for Blue22 , a rail service between Toronto Union Station and Pearson Airport , by 2010. The service, which
3016-665: The Taiwan Railway Administration . Tokyu got a licence from the Budd Company and the bodywork of the DR2700 series was based on the RDC. There were 25 powered driving cars (each with a Cummins diesel engine producing 335 horsepower (250 kW)) and 6 trailers. The DR2700 series was the fastest train in the following decade with a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). They were withdrawn from regular service in 2014 while several powered driving cars were still active for special trains. From 1982 to 1984 Tokyu Car built 45 of
3120-601: The Winton Motor Carriage Company , dominated the market at the end of the 1920s but had left it completely by 1932 as the Great Depression gutted rail traffic. The Budd Company entered the market in 1932, just as EMC left. Until then, Budd had been mainly an automotive parts subcontractor, but had pioneered methods for working with stainless steel , including the technique of shot welding to join stainless steel components. This permitted
3224-475: The hydraulic torque converter . Budd, which by then had produced more than 2,500 streamlined cars for various railroads, took a standard 85-foot (26 m) coach design and added a pair of 275 hp (205 kW) 6-cylinder Detroit Diesel Series 110 engines. Each drove an axle through a hydraulic torque converter derived from the M46 Patton tank, for a 1A-A1 wheel arrangement. The top speed for
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3328-474: The 1850s and 1860s, was originally part of the Erie's mainline from Jersey City to Buffalo, New York. The Pascack Valley Line was built by the New Jersey and New York Railroad , which became a subsidiary of the Erie. Trains that service Port Jervis formerly continued to Binghamton and Buffalo, New York (today used only by freight trains), while Pascack Valley service continued to Haverstraw, New York . In 1956,
3432-664: The Amtrak New Haven–Springfield Line . The Hudson Line is part of the Empire Corridor , and the Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, and Poughkeepsie stations are all served by Amtrak as well as Metro-North. Freight trains operate over Metro-North lines, though the company itself does not operate freight services. The Hudson Line connects with the Oak Point Link and is the main route for freight to and from
3536-465: The Atlantic coast. The largest RDC fleets were in the Northeast United States . The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (New Haven) acquired 40 RDCs, which it called "Shoreliners", in 1952–53. By 1955 these accounted for 65% of the New Haven's passenger routes. This achievement was eclipsed by the Boston and Maine Railroad , whose fleet grew to 108 by 1958. The B&M's RDCs operated 90% of
3640-586: The Boston and Albany to Albany , Boston , Vermont , and Canada . On April 1, 1873, the New York and Harlem Railroad was leased by Cornelius Vanderbilt , who added the railroad to his complex empire of railroads , which were run by the NYC. Grand Central Depot, built in 1871, served as the southern terminus of NYC's Harlem and Hudson Divisions; it would be replaced by Grand Central Station in 1900, and by Grand Central Terminal in 1913. The Boston and Albany came under
3744-544: The Bronx and Long Island. Freight railroads CSX , CP Rail , P&W , and Housatonic Railroad have trackage rights on sections of the system. See Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island . Metro-North provides service west of the Hudson River on trains from Hoboken Terminal , New Jersey, jointly run with NJ Transit under contract. There are two branches: the Port Jervis Line and
3848-678: The Erie Railroad began coordinated service with rival Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad , and in 1960 they formed the Erie Lackawanna . Trains were rerouted to the Lackawanna's Hoboken Terminal in 1956–1958. Passenger rail in the United States began to falter after World War II. Commuter services historically had always been unprofitable, and were usually subsidized by long-distance passenger and freight services. As these profits disappeared, commuter services usually were
3952-617: The Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines on January 1, 1983 and merged them into the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Metro-North took over the former Erie Lackawanna services west of the Hudson and north of the New Jersey state line. Since those lines are physically connected to NJ Transit, operations were contracted to NJ Transit with Metro-North subsidizing the service and supplying equipment. In preparation for
4056-422: The Hudson River in New York are owned and operated by Metro-North, except Suffern , which is owned and operated by NJ Transit. In partnership with NY Waterway, Metro-North also provides ferry service across the Hudson River to Ossining station and Beacon station , with the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry and Newburgh–Beacon Ferry respectively. Most of the trackage east of the Hudson River and in New York State
4160-449: The LIRR. The New Haven Railroad's trustees initially opposed New York Central's takeover of the New Haven Line, as they felt that the $ 140 million offer for the New Haven Line was too low. After some discussion, the trustees decided to continue operating the New Haven Line, but only until June 1967. In 1968, following the Erie Lackawanna's example, the NYC and its rival the Pennsylvania Railroad formed Penn Central Transportation with
4264-420: The MTA also entered into a long-term lease of Penn Central's Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines. Penn Central continued to operate the now-subsidized lines under contract to the MTA. In April 1970, Rockefeller proposed that the state take over the Hudson and Harlem Lines, and the next month, he signed a bond issue that provided $ 44.4 million in funding to these lines. The MTA and ConnDOT took over ownership of
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4368-425: The MTA and the United Transportation Union (UTU) broke off, Metro-North employees went on strike. Commuters were left to carpool or use shuttle buses running to subway stations in the Bronx. Metro-North wanted to eliminate minimum staffing requirements and wanted the complete freedom to assign crews–a demand that the employees would not agree to. This was the first strike to shut down the New Haven, Harlem, and Hudson at
4472-470: The MTA's "Mail&Ride" program where monthly passes are delivered by mail. There is a discount for buying tickets online and through Mail&Ride. A surcharge is added if a ticket is purchased on a train. Ticket types available include One-way, Round-trip (two One-way tickets), 10-trip, Weekly (unlimited travel for one calendar week), Monthly (unlimited travel for one calendar month), and special student and disabled fare tickets. MetroCards are available on
4576-408: The MTA, but NJ Transit owns all of the Pascack Valley Line, including the portion in Rockland County, New York . Most stops for the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are in New Jersey, so NJ Transit provides most of the rolling stock and all the staff; Metro-North supplies some equipment. Metro-North equipment has been used on other NJ Transit lines on the Hoboken division. All stations west of
4680-434: The MTA. Three lines provide passenger service on the east side of the Hudson River to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan : the Hudson , Harlem , and New Haven Lines . The Beacon Line is a freight line owned by Metro-North but is not in service. The Hudson and Harlem Lines terminate in Poughkeepsie and Wassaic , New York, respectively. The New Haven Line is operated through a partnership between Metro-North and
4784-460: The NYC, the NYNH&H, and the Erie Lackawanna had to maintain service on these lines. Mergers between railroads were seen as a way to curtail these issues by combining capital and services and creating efficiencies. In February 1965, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Connecticut Governor John N. Dempsey jointly suggested that operations of the New Haven Line, the New Haven Railroad 's struggling commuter rail operation, be transferred to
4888-518: The New Haven Line in January 1971. In May 1972, the MTA also gained ownership of the Hudson and Harlem Lines. Penn Central continued to operate all three routes under contract. As part of its plan to modernize the commuter lines, the MTA ordered high-speed "Cosmopolitan" railcars for the New Haven Line as well as for the Hudson and Harlem Lines. After a series of delays and derailments in mid-1972, which involved Penn Central trains near Grand Central Terminal, Chairman Ronan expressed his disapproval of
4992-400: The New Haven Line) and diesel power (branches and lines to eastern and northern New England). The NYNH&H saw much profitability throughout the 1910s and 1920s until the Great Depression of the 1930s forced it into bankruptcy. Commuter services west of the Hudson River, today's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines, were initially part of the Erie Railroad . The Port Jervis Line, built in
5096-405: The New Haven Line, including the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches, was owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). These branches were started in the 1830s with horse-drawn cars, later replaced by steam engines, on a route that connected Lower Manhattan to Harlem . Additional lines started in the mid-19th century included the New York and New Haven Railroad and
5200-436: The New York Central Railroad as part of a plan to prevent the New Haven Railroad from going bankrupt. If the operational merger occurred, the proposed Metropolitan Commuter Transit Authority (MCTA; now Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA) and the existing Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) would contract with New York Central to operate the New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal. Due to growing debts,
5304-453: The New York State Department of Transportation announced that the Newburgh–Beacon Shuttle would be developed in conjunction with Metro-North, running from the Beacon station on the Hudson Line to the Newburgh park-and-ride on Route 17K . Metro-North spent the better part of its early days updating and repairing its infrastructure. Stations, track, and rolling stock all needed to be repaired, renovated, or replaced. The railroad succeeded and by
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#17327760903925408-428: The RDC but made few orders. Conversely, the Reading Company 's 12 RDC-1s lasted on the Philadelphia–Reading and Philadelphia–Bethlehem routes well into the SEPTA era. For several railroads the RDCs, because of their low overall cost and operational flexibility, were the last passenger trains in operation. Examples include the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway , the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway ,
5512-471: The RDC design. It consisted of two single-ended cab units and four intermediate cars to make a complete train. The units were fitted with third-rail shoes, electric traction motors , and associated gear for operation into Grand Central Terminal , though this was short-lived. In the New Haven's later years, the set was broken up, and used with regular New Haven RDCs, and by Amtrak into the 1980s. In 1961, five cars were built under license in Australia for
5616-422: The RDC's jet exploit was more a scientific feat than a calculated circus to take the curse off the Century ' s funeral notice." Historian Chuck Crouse expressed skepticism in 1990 about the test's usefulness: "What, if anything, did the tests prove is anyone's guess." In 1956, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad ordered a custom-built, six-car train set they named the Roger Williams , based on
5720-428: The State of Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) owns the tracks and stations within Connecticut, and finances and performs capital improvements. MTA owns the tracks and stations and handles capital improvements within New York State. MTA performs routine maintenance and provides police services for the entire line, its branches and stations. New cars and locomotives are typically purchased in
5824-425: The United States. They could be found on branch lines, short-haul intercity routes, commuter routes, and even long-distance trains. The Western Pacific Railroad used a pair of RDC-2s to operate the Zephyrette , a supplement to the California Zephyr . The two cars ran between Oakland, California and Salt Lake City, Utah , 924 miles (1,487 km), three days a week. Examples of shorter intercity services were
5928-400: The arrival of new Stadler GTW 2/6s diesel multiple units . Despite their advanced age, a market for Budd RDCs has continued. Oregonian transit authority TriMet purchased and refurbished two RDCs in 2009 to provide backup for its commuter rail service, WES , following reliability issues with the primary DMUs for that service, which had been purpose-built by Colorado Railcar . In 2017,
6032-429: The arrival of push-pull coaches, the branch used self-propelled Budd RDC and SPV-2000 railcars, the latter of which were later converted to coaches. A typical shuttle consists of three cars. In August 2023, CTDOT approved a contract with Alstom for 60 single-level passenger cars. The cars will replace the existing Shoreliner coach fleet on the Waterbury Branch and the Danbury Branch , as well as Mafersa coaches on
6136-422: The boiler and engine were too heavy, water and fuel took up too much space, and high maintenance costs eliminated whatever advantage was gained from reducing labor costs. In the 1900s steam railcars gave way to gasoline, led by the McKeen Motor Car Company , which produced 152 between 1905 and 1917. The J. G. Brill Company sold over 300 railbuses in the 1920s. Newcomer Electro-Motive Corporation , working with
6240-410: The chances of a person being electrocuted by coming in contact with the rail. It also reduces the impact of icing in winter. The Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines and the New Canaan branch and all passenger rolling stock is equipped with cab signalling , which displays the appropriate block signal in the engineer's cab. All rolling stock is equipped with Automatic Train Control (ATC), which enforces
6344-436: The company's passenger routes, including its extensive commuter operations around Boston, Massachusetts . The results in commuter service outside the B&M were mixed. Budd had not designed the RDC for commuter service and discouraged operators from using it to haul coaches. The Long Island Rail Road and Chicago and North Western Railway , which had extensive networks in Long Island and Chicago , respectively, evaluated
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#17327760903926448-477: The construction of cars which were both light and strong. Budd partnered with Michelin to construct several rubber-tired stainless steel rail cars powered by gasoline and diesel engines . These saw service with the Reading Company , Pennsylvania Railroad , and Texas and Pacific Railway . The cars were under-powered, the tires proved prone to blowouts and derailments, and the cars were unsuccessful. Budd revived its railcar concept after diesel engines with
6552-419: The design was 85 miles per hour (137 km/h). The control systems allowed the cars to operate singly, or in multiple. The result was the RDC-1, which made its public debut at Chicago 's Union Station on September 19, 1949. Budd manufactured five basic variants of the RDC: Several railroads used the designation "RDC-5": the Canadian Pacific Railway for RDC-2s converted to full-coach configuration and
6656-417: The entire front end. This RDC, which NYC had numbered M497, set the United States speed record in 1966 when it traveled at just short of 184 mph (296 km/h) between Butler, Indiana , and Stryker, Ohio . It was never intended that jet engines propel regular trains. With high-speed trains advancing overseas, particularly the Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains, American railroads were under pressure from
6760-406: The exception of the terminal stations at Bridgeport and Waterbury. A new station consisting of a high-level platform at Derby-Shelton is currently awaiting construction, while new station plans at Ansonia, Seymour, Beacon Falls, and Naugatuck are currently awaiting designs and funding. For most of its route, the branch runs parallel to the Naugatuck River , viewable on the right side northbound and
6864-547: The federal government to catch up. The test runs and subsequent American rail speed record set on July 23, 1966, provided valuable data on the interaction between flanged wheels and rail at high speeds, as well as stress on wheel bearings and track infrastructure. At the same time the test took place, the Central announced plans to discontinue most of its long-distance trains, including the renowned 20th Century Limited . Trains editor David P. Morgan observed that "...[the New York] Central will never quite convince anyone that
6968-427: The federal government, the same year. Many of the other Northeastern railroads, including the Erie Lackawanna, followed Penn Central into bankruptcy, and so they had been merged into Conrail. However, the handover to private owners did not happen. In March 1981, the administration of President Ronald Reagan suggested that struggling Conrail commuter operations across five states be transferred to state agencies. At
7072-438: The first to be affected. Many railroads began to gradually discontinue their commuter lines after the war. By 1958, the NYC had already suspended service on its Putnam Division, while the newly formed Erie Lackawanna, in an effort to make a successful merger, began to prune some of its commuter services. Most New Yorkers still chose the train as their primary means of commuting, making many of the other lines heavily patronized. Thus
7176-416: The hope of revitalizing their fortunes. In 1969 the bankrupt NYNH&H was also combined into Penn Central by the Interstate Commerce Commission . However, this merger eventually failed, due to large financial costs, government regulations, corporate rivalries, and lack of a formal merger plan. In 1970 Penn Central declared bankruptcy, at the time the largest corporate bankruptcy ever declared. The same year,
7280-437: The left side southbound. In 1906, work on double-tracking the branch between Seymour and Waterbury was underway. It was completed in 1907. In September 2015, it was announced that out of governor Dannel Malloy 's 30-year-$ 100 billion transportation plan, $ 350 million has been included to improve service along the branch. The upgrades were to include a new signal system with multiple passing sidings to increase service – as it
7384-426: The mid 90s gained both respect and monetary success, according to the MTA's website. 2006 was the best year for the division, with a 97.8% rate of on-time trains, record ridership (76.9 million people), and a passenger satisfaction rating of 92%. In December 2017, the MTA announced that the Metro-North Railroad stations at White Plains , Harlem–125th Street , Crestwood , Port Chester , and Riverdale , would receive
7488-470: The next few years commuter lines under the control of Conrail were gradually taken over by state agencies such as the newly formed NJ Transit in New Jersey, the established SEPTA in southeastern Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston. In March 1982, the MTA announced it would take over the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines as long as there was no extra operating cost involved. The MTA and ConnDOT officially took control of
7592-537: The north of Peekskill, such as Poughkeepsie, were considered to be long-distance services. The other major commuter line was the Putnam Division running from 155th Street in upper Manhattan (later from Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx ) to Brewster, New York . Passengers would transfer to the IRT Ninth Avenue Line for midtown and lower Manhattan . From the mid-19th century until 1969,
7696-528: The only official reporting marks registered and recognized on AEI scanner tags is 'MNCW'. Rolling stock owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation bears the CTDOT seal and either the New Haven ("NH") logo or the MTA logo and is identified using the reporting mark 'CNDX'. Metro-North offers many different ticket types and prices depending on the frequency of travel and distance of
7800-401: The other while running between the stations. Multi-system M8 railcars equipped with third rail shoes and pantographs are used for electric service on the line. The New Canaan Branch also uses overhead catenary. The Danbury Branch was electrified, but became a diesel line in 1961. The Waterbury Branch, the only east-of-Hudson Metro-North service which has no direct service to Grand Central,
7904-531: The ownership of NYC in 1914. NYC's four-track Water Level Route paralleled the Hudson River, Erie Canal, and Great Lakes on a route from New York to Chicago via Albany. It was fast and popular due to the lack of any significant grades. The section between Grand Central and Peekskill, New York , the northernmost station in Westchester County , became known as the NYC's Hudson Division, with frequent commuter service in and out of Manhattan. Stations to
8008-492: The passenger railroad system totaling 385 miles (620 km) of route . It is the second busiest commuter railroad in North America in terms of annual ridership, behind the Long Island Rail Road and ahead of NJ Transit (both of which also serve New York City). As of 2018 , Metro-North's budgetary burden for expenditures was $ 1.3 billion, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees. In 2023,
8112-489: The railroad $ 1.3 million. Richard Ravitch, the MTA Chairman, asked President Reagan to seek legislation to place the dispute under the law of New York State. Even though Metro-North was a state agency, the workers remained under federal law because Conrail was a federal agency. Reagan had turned down a request by Governor Mario Cuomo to intervene, but indicated that he would listen if a congressionally approved proposal
8216-529: The railroad would have to cease operating passenger trains on the New Haven Line if nothing was done. A joint report from both agencies, released in September of that year, recommended that the line be leased to New York Central for 99 years, with the MCTA and CTA acting as agents for both states. In October, the MCTA found that the New Haven Line's stations and infrastructure were even more decrepit than those of
8320-704: The reverse side of the Round-trip, Weekly, and Monthly tickets. Budd Rail Diesel Car The Budd Rail Diesel Car ( RDC ), also known as the Budd car or Buddliner , is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit (DMU) railcar . Between 1949 and 1962, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , United States. The cars were primarily adopted for passenger service in rural areas with low traffic density or in short-haul commuter service, and were less expensive to operate in this context than
8424-424: The ride. While the fare policies of the east of Hudson and west of Hudson divisions are essentially the same, west of Hudson trains are operated by NJ Transit using its ticketing system. Tickets may be bought from a ticket office at stations, ticket vending machines (TVMs), online through the "WebTicket" program or through apps for iOS and Android devices, or on the train. Monthly tickets may be bought through
8528-488: The same time since January 1961. The UTU also went on strike against NJ Transit, which took over Conrail lines in New Jersey, and against SEPTA in Philadelphia. Two weeks into the strike, Metro-North President Peter Stangl estimated that it lost $ 80,000 a week due to the strike. The chairman of the MTA's finance committee, Stephen Berger, feared that Metro-North would lose 5% of its pre-strike ridership of 90,000–costing
8632-614: The same year, in addition to its existing two, and stated they would enter WES service in 2021; however, those plans were postponed indefinitely in view of a COVID-19 pandemic -related ridership decline. Both the Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased RDCs. The Canadian National purchased 25 cars outright, and acquired many more second-hand from the Boston and Maine Railroad . These cars, which CN called Railiners , were used primarily on secondary passenger routes. CP purchased 53 cars. The first one ran on November 9, 1954, between Detroit and Toronto . It
8736-541: The side fluting continued around to the front of the car and the front-facing windows were smaller. In an experiment toward high-speed rail , the New York Central Railroad fitted a pair of General Electric J47 jet engines from a Convair B-36 , complete in their twinned nacelle from the bomber's engine installation, atop one of their RDCs and added a shovel nose front (much like a later automotive air dam ) to its cab, but extended upwards, covering
8840-724: The sparsely populated north of South Australia not served by the South Australian Railways . Invariably referred to as "Budd cars", they operated between Port Pirie , Woomera , Tarcoola , Marree and Whyalla . In July 1975, when the Commonwealth Railways were succeeded by the Australian National Railways Commission (successively branded as ANR, Australian National and AN), they were withdrawn from service and stored. In 1986, however, they were reinstated on
8944-614: The speed dictated by the cab signal by a penalty brake application should the engineer fail to obey it. There are no intermediate wayside signals between interlockings: operation is solely by cab signal. Wayside signals remain at interlockings. These are a special type of signal, a go, a slow or a stop signal. They do not convey information about traffic in the blocks ahead – the cab signal conveys block information. Metro-North began upgrading its Operations Control Center in Grand Central Terminal in 2008. All control hardware
9048-813: The standard RDC-1 design. The car body was based on the Pioneer III coach. Internal seating was 48 with a small buffet area or 56 in an all-coach configuration. Several RDCs remain active on the Serra Verde Express tourist train. In the 1950s, both major railway companies in Cuba purchased RDCs. Consolidated Railways of Cuba ( Ferrocarriles Consolidados de Cuba ) ordered 11 RDC-1s and 5 RDC-2s in 1950. These operated either singly or in multiple units of up to three cars. The Western Railways of Cuba ( Ferrocarriles Occidentales de Cuba ) ordered four RDC-1s and six RDC-3s in 1956–57. The cars remained in use after
9152-494: The system had a ridership of 60,569,700, or about 235,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The MTA has jurisdiction, through Metro-North, over railroad lines on the western and eastern portions of the Hudson River in New York. Service on the western side of the Hudson is operated by NJ Transit under contract with the MTA. Additionally, connecting ferry service is operated by NY Waterway , also under contract with
9256-446: The takeover, Metro-North was created as a division of the MTA, with Peter Stangl as president. Once under the MTA's control, the agency planned to phase in capital improvements over the following five years. As part of the transition, the MTA needed to negotiate new labor contracts with the 17 unions representing 5,000 Conrail employees who would become MTA employees and had to negotiate the transfer of most of Conrail's assets. Much work
9360-495: The time, Conrail was being floated by the federal government as a private for-profit freight-only carrier. Even with state subsidies, the federal government did not want Conrail to take on the operating costs of the commuter lines, which it was relieved from by the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 . Thus, it became essential that state-owned agencies both operate and subsidize their commuter services. Over
9464-629: The trailer's diesel engine is used exclusively to provide head-end power for the entire three-car set, while the engines in the driver cars are used for propulsion. To prevent dependency on the trailer's engine for cooling, the cooling fans of the driver cars are driven hydraulically instead of electrically. This configuration results in each set producing 700 horsepower (520 kW) for a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). All 15 sets are still in service as of 2022. All DR2800 series were withdrawn from service on April 26, 2023. The vast majority of RDCs were owned and operated by railroads in
9568-499: The way Penn Central was running its railroads. He said that the proportion of trains running on schedule had declined after Penn Central had inherited the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines in 1968. In 1976, Congress awarded the MTA "temporary" funding so the LIRR and Penn Central commuter routes could be handed over to local private operators. The bankrupt Penn Central's commuter routes were taken over by Conrail , an entity created by
9672-400: Was a trailer car. Allocated as the 1100 class , they followed Budd car layouts but were smaller than standard RDC-1 models, being 8.0 feet (2.4 metres) shorter at 77.0 feet (23.5 metres) and built to a New South Wales Railways loading gauge smaller than that of North American railroads (and Commonwealth Railways). The trailer car was built with a buffet/snack bar in one end. The cars worked
9776-399: Was activated on November 7, 2021. Taking advantage of the newly constructed signal system, an increase in service frequency from 15 to 22 trains per day (12 southbound, 10 northbound) was implemented on July 10, 2022 with super express connecting trains from Bridgeport, saving commuters up to 60 minutes on their round-trip commute time. As of 2022, the Connecticut Department of Transportation
9880-671: Was chosen in homage of the original railroad. The trackage ends in Torrington , but Metro-North service on the branch ends at Waterbury. There are conceptual plans to extend service from its current terminus in Waterbury to Hartford via Bristol and New Britain . Currently, riders that want to continue to New Britain and Hartford have to transfer to an express bus operated by CTtransit at Waterbury. All trains on this branch operate as shuttles between Waterbury and Bridgeport . All platforms currently consist of low-level platforms with
9984-558: Was issued. The strike lasted six weeks, and ended on April 18 when the two sides agreed to binding arbitration. The first major project undertaken by Metro-North was the extension of the third-rail electrification on the Harlem line from North White Plains to a new station at Brewster North (since renamed Southeast ). This was completed in 1984. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, all wayside signals that did not protect switches and interlockings north of Grand Central were removed and replaced by modern cab signaling . In October 1998,
10088-617: Was needed in reorganization, as significant business success would not appear for at least two decades, following the faltering railroad industry in the 1970s. Conrail and later Metro-North had decided to trim whatever services they felt were unnecessary. A significant portion of the old New York Central Central Harlem line between Millerton and Chatham , New York was abandoned by Conrail, leaving northeastern Dutchess and Columbia counties with no rail transportation. Most commuter lines were kept in service although they were in much need of repair. On March 7, 1983, after labor negotiations between
10192-872: Was replaced and software upgrades were performed. The new OCC at Grand Central opened over the weekend of July 18, 2010. Most of the rolling stock on west-of-Hudson lines consists of Metro-North owned and marked Comet V cars, although occasionally other NJ Transit (NJT) cars are used as the two railroads pool equipment. The trains are also usually handled by EMD GP40FH-2 , GP40PH-2 , F40PH-3C , Alstom PL42AC , or Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotives, although any Metro-North or NJ Transit diesel can show up. Metro-North owned and marked equipment operated by NJ Transit can also be seen on other NJ Transit lines. The Metro-North Railroad uses an electric fleet of M3A , M7A , and M8 electric multiple units . Multiple diesel locomotives and push-pull coaches are in use as well. Although Metro-North uses many abbreviations (MNCR, MNR, MN, etc.)
10296-694: Was studying the feasibility of installing catenary wire on the Waterbury Branch. Major damage from catastrophic flooding washed out the line in several locations on August 18, 2024. All service was suspended in favor of replacement bus service while repairs took place. Service was restored on October 28, 2024. The following connecting services are available to Amtrak , Metro-North Railroad , Shore Line East , CT Transit , and Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority . The Waterbury Branch uses Brookville BL20GH , GE Genesis P32AC-DM , and EMD GP40-3H locomotives and Shoreliner passenger coaches. Prior to
10400-624: Was the first stainless-steel passenger train to operate in Canada. CP used the RDCs, which it called Dayliners , throughout its system. CP also made extensive use of them on commuter trains around Montreal and Toronto. The Dominion Atlantic Railway (CP's subsidiary in Nova Scotia) also operated two RDCs lettered for its line. Via Rail inherited many of these cars when it took over CN and CP passenger services in 1978. Via continues to use RDCs on
10504-535: Was the last remaining dark territory of the Metro-North system – along with newer equipment and station rehabilitation. Signalization enabled multiple trains to safely operate on the branch at a time, while allowing for increased capacity and overall safer train operation. New passing sidings were constructed at Derby and Beacon Falls, while existing sidings at Devon and Waterbury were upgraded, allowing trains to pass each other in single-track territory and thereby increase service frequency. Centralized Traffic Control
10608-528: Was transferred to Conrail in 1976, when it absorbed most of Penn Central's railroad functions after Penn Central's bankruptcy. The system took its current form in 1983, when the MTA took over direct operation of Conrail's commuter services in the northern portion of the Tri-State Area and formed Metro-North to run them. There are 124 stations on Metro-North Railroad's five active lines, which operate on more than 787 miles (1,267 km) of track, with
10712-556: Was transferred to Metrolinx ownership and opened in 2015 as the Union Pearson Express , ultimately used new Nippon Sharyo DMU trains instead. In 1951, the Budd Company exported three standard RDC-1 railcars to Australia , which Budd engineer Joseph F. Grosser accompanied. Designated the CB class , they ran on the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1435 mm ) standard-gauge Commonwealth Railways lines in
10816-584: Was under the control of the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The NYC initially operated three commuter lines, two of which ran into Grand Central Depot (now Grand Central Terminal ). Metro-North's Harlem Line was initially a combination of trackage from the New York and Harlem Railroad and the Boston and Albany Railroad , running from Manhattan to Chatham, New York in Columbia County . At Chatham, passengers could transfer to long-distance trains on
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