Governor Hochul Announces MTA Metro-North Railroad ‘Super-Express’ Trips Between Poughkeepsie and New York City to Launch Ahead of Schedule on October 6

Trips Between Poughkeepsie and New York City Can Now Run Under 90 Minutes

LIRR Also Adding Extra Service To Move Tens of Thousands of Golf Fans for Ryder Cup

“Leaf Peeper” Trains Adding Extra Weekend Service for Riders Headed to the Scenic Hudson Valley This Fall

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of faster “super-express” trains on the Hudson Line between Poughkeepsie and New York City with the upcoming MTA Metro-North Railroad schedule effective Sunday, Oct. 5. The first “super-express” trains will run on Monday, October 6. These new trips were announced in the Governor's 2025 State of the State address and will cut travel times between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central Terminal to less than 90 minutes each way. Initially projected to launch in 2026, work was completed ahead of schedule, allowing for faster service to begin in October.

“Delivering better, faster Metro-North service to Hudson Valley commuters will propel economic growth across our state and improve quality of life,” Governor Hochul said. “These new super-express trains will save commuters nearly 15 minutes of travel time every day, giving riders back over an hour a week of their precious time. This is just the start - work remains underway to deliver even more service improvements along the line, improving reliability and making trips up and down the Hudson Valley even faster.”

In addition, the MTA will run extra Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service for the Ryder Cup this week — one of the biggest and most prestigious events in golf, attracting visitors from around the world.

Faster Metro-North Hudson Line Trips

Metro-North is shortening five trips between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central to less than 90 minutes and one trip down to 95 minutes, delivering the fastest trips ever between the two cities.

The travel time for a non-express trip between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central can be up to 115 minutes, depending on the number of stops. The run time improvements cut travel times by as much as 7 minutes one way compared to the current super-express train schedules, and by as much as 20 minutes one way compared to non-express trains, providing commuters and visitors with a quicker and reliable ride into and out of Manhattan. Details of the “super-express” Hudson Line trains are outlined further below.

As part of her 2025 State of the State, Governor Hochul proposed investments in Hudson Valley rail service that would increase capacity, reduce delays, improve safety and cut travel times. This proposal included shortening “super-express” Metro-North Hudson Line trips to less than 90 minutes.

Ryder Cup Service

For the Ryder Cup this week, the LIRR is adding up to nine more trains a day from Sept. 23 to Sept. 28, 2025, to help tens of thousands of golf fans reach the Ryder Cup tournament at the Bethpage Black Golf Course via the LIRR Farmingdale Station. At Farmingdale station, there will be complimentary shuttle buses provided by the PGA offering a 15-minute ride to the main entrance.

Up to 18,000 fans per day are expected to use the LIRR to reach the tournament. With no parking allowed at Bethpage State Park, or at Farmingdale Station, fans are encouraged to use the LIRR as the best way to avoid traffic and parking hassles. LIRR customers who normally drive to Farmingdale Station bound for other destinations are encouraged to use nearby Wyandanch Station, where parking will be available. For more information on additional train service or travel options, view the MTA's press release on the event.

Super-Express Hudson Line Service Improvements

Adjustments to dozens of other trains, along with schedule optimization, resulted in clear paths for these Hudson Line Super Express trains to operate more efficiently.

• The 6:08 a.m. train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central will now be an 89-minute run, five minutes faster than the current run time. This train makes stops at New Hamburg, Beacon and Harlem-125th St.
• The 6:42 a.m. train from Poughkeepsie will depart two minutes later at 6:44 a.m. and will now be an 89-minute run, seven minutes faster than the current run time. This train makes stops at New Hamburg, Beacon, and Harlem-125th St.
• The 7:03 a.m. train from Poughkeepsie will depart two minutes later at 7:05 a.m. and will now be a 95-minute run, five minutes faster than the current run time. This train makes stops at New Hamburg, New Beacon, and Croton-Harmon.
• The 5:08 p.m. train from Grand Central will depart one minute later at 5:09 p.m. and will now be an 88-minute run, seven minutes faster than the current run time. This train stops at Harlem-125th St, Beacon, and New Hamburg.
• The 5:30 p.m. train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie will now be an 88- minute run, six minutes faster than the current run time. This train stops at Beacon and New Hamburg.
• The 6:11 p.m. train from Grand Central will depart one minute later at 6:12 p.m. and will now be an 88-minute run, seven minutes faster than the current run time. This train stops at Harlem-125th St, Beacon and New Hamburg.

The Metro-North team used specialized train-simulation software and in-depth analyses of GPS and signal data to create new timetables that shave up to seven minutes from some Hudson Line trains both into and out of New York. Improvements to Metro-North’s signaling infrastructure have allowed the railroad to increase train speeds and reduce the effect of speed restrictions along the Hudson Line, resulting in improved run times for some trains. 

Additional Metro-North Schedule Changes

The new schedules also feature the return of the “Leaf Peeper” trains, providing extra service for customers planning to enjoy the fall foliage in the Hudson Valley, and increased service for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

Minor adjustments to departure times have been made across the entire network to accommodate ongoing capital projects and routine track work. Customers can check the new schedules online or use the TrainTime app for trip information. This schedule change will be in effect from October 5, 2025, until the spring of next year.

Hudson Line

In addition to the “super-express” travel time improvements on the Hudson Line, extra weekend service returns for day-trippers heading to the scenic Hudson River Valley. Between October 5 and November 9, five additional trains will run between Grand Central, Beacon and Poughkeepsie on Saturdays and Sundays.

The addition of the powerful new Siemens Charger diesel-electric locomotives, which joined Metro-North’s fleet in passenger service this week, will help make travel on the Hudson Line, and throughout the network, faster and greener.

Harlem Line

In response to customer feedback, there is an additional morning peak train to Grand Central to provide additional capacity. In the late evening, there’s an additional train departing Grand Central to take customers home after a game or show, reducing the amount of time they might need to wait for their ride home.

To accommodate ongoing track work and improvement projects, there are minor adjustments to departure times and customers are advised to consult the TrainTime app before traveling.

New Haven Line

Between November 29 and January 4, the New Haven Line “Shopper Specials” trains return. Eight additional trains will run on Saturdays, and four additional trains will run on Sundays between Grand Central and New Haven.