Metro-North Railroad Fare Increases Take Hold Jan. 1

Starting Jan. 1, Metro-North Railroad riders in Connecticut and along parts of the Long Island Sound shoreline in Westchester will see new, increased fares.

Fare increases of 5 percent will be seen for commuters between Connecticut and New York stations as well as between stations within the Nutmeg State, MTA said in an emailed bulletin.

The announcement about the increases, which received approval from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, comes on the heels of the fatal derailing of a Hudson Line train in the Bronx and calls for more safety regulations and oversight from New York legislators and others, including Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. The National Transportation Safety Board reports that the Metro-North train was traveling 82 mph while entering a 30 mph bend when it derailed.

The four people who perished in the Dec. 2 derailment were James Lovell, 58, of Cold Spring; James Ferrari, 59, of Montrose; Donna Smith, 54, of Newburgh; and Ahn Kisook, 35, of Queens. More information about the deceased, including fundraising efforts for survivors, can be found here.

Here are links to more specifics about the new fares in Connecticut:

• CTDOT Station Fares (to/from GCT) for New Haven Line Effective January 1, 2014
• CTDOT On-Board Fares (to/from GCT) for New Haven Line Effective January 1, 2014
  
• CTDOT Intermediate Fares for New Haven Line (to Greenwich) Effective January 1, 2014
• CTDOT Intermediate Fares for New Haven Line (to Stamford) Effective January 1, 2014

Also effective Jan. 1, fares will increase for monthly and weekly ticket holders travelling between Rye or Port Chester Stations and Manhattan by an average 2.5 percent. There will also be an increase in fares for travel between Rye or Port Chester and a limited number of other stations.

“These [New York state] fare adjustments were previously approved by the MTA Board but were subject to phased implementation in order to avoid exceeding the existing fares from Greenwich Station,” the MTA said. “In March 2013, while the overall average [New York state] fare increase implemented was 9 percent, Rye and Port Chester station fares were only raised by about 6.5 percent."

More information about the fare increases for Westchester stations can be found here:

• CTDOT New Haven Line (NYS Portion) Station Fares (to/from GCT) Effective January 1, 2014
• CTDOT New Haven Line (NYS Portion) On-Board Fares (to/from GCT) Effective January 1, 2014)