NEW HAVEN LINE

Metro-North's 'New Haven Line' runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York on the Harlem Line, where New Haven Line trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Northeast of New Rochelle, New York it is also part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, but it is owned by Metro-North. The line was formerly part of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (the New York and New Haven Railroad until 1872), which had trackage rights over the New York Central Railroad's New York and Harlem Railroad into Grand Central. From west to east, three branches split into the New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch.
Penn Central, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the states of New York and Connecticut signed an agreement November 25, 1969 for New York to buy the section of the line in that state and Connecticut to lease their section (to New Haven).^[3] The actual acquisition took place on January 1, 1971, and included the three branches.^[4]

Contents

On the Drawing Board

Multiple Unit Equipment

M8 Current Designs

Station stops

Notes

External links

On the Drawing Board

As of 2006, plans were being discussed to build Metro-North stations in West Haven and Orange. The stretch between Milford and New Haven, passing through those two municipalities, is the longest on the New Haven Line without a station. The South Central Regional Council of Governments commissioned a study, issued in April 2005, that showed that stations in both municipalities would be viable, but favoring West Haven.^[5] The Transportation Strategy Board made a similar recommendation.^[6] Gov. M. Jodi Rell later included money for both in the state budget, with West Haven again given priority.^[7] Whether stations actually will be built in either town was not certain as of January 2007.
There are also plans for a third station in Fairfield, to be called Fairfield Metro Center.

Multiple Unit Equipment

Since most of the main line and the New Canaan Branch is equipped with 12.5 kV 60 Hz overhead catenary, as opposed to just the 750V DC third-rail of the Hudson and Harlem Lines, different rolling stock that can operate off either power system runs on the New Haven Line. This rolling stock, originally produced by the Budd Company in two batches (144 in 1973 and 100 in 1976), was initially branded as the Cosmopolitans (model M2) with later versions being made on license by Tokyu Car (model M4, 1988) and Morrison-Knudsen (model M6, 1993). Cosmopolitans can be easily spotted by their red stripe along the side, the presence of pantographs on the lead cars in each set, and a dynamic braking grid on the roof.
All New Haven Line electric trains change over between third rail and catenary between Mount Vernon East and Pelham, at speed. Inbound trains to Grand Central Terminal lower their pantographs in this area, while outbound trains raise them; the third rail shoes stay in the same position both in and out of third rail territory. Both catenary and third rail overlap for a quarter of a mile between Mount Vernon East and Pelham to facilitate this changeover.
Most of the M2's are slated for retirement in 2009–2010 when the Kawasaki-made M8 enters service.

M8 Current Designs

The M8 is to be built by Kawasaki Rail Car. The interior design of this EMU evidences the influence of another Metro-North car, the M7a, which is currently used in revenue service on the Harlem and Hudson Lines. Funding for the M8 also came from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT), as the cars will be used on the New Haven Line.
New Kawasaki M-8 cars prototypes will be built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, Japan. Production units will be manufactured at Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing in Lincoln, Nebraska and cars will be delivered to Metro North by Kawaski Railcar in Yonkers, NY. Final touches and warranty work to be done in Yonkers.

Station stops

State	Town/City	Milepost	Station	Connections
New York	Manhattan	0.0	Grand Central Terminal	NYC Transit 4, 5, 6, 7, Times Square Shuttle, M42, M101, M102, M103, M104
		4.2	Harlem-125th Street	NYC Transit 4, 5, 6, Buses Bx15, M60, M100, M101
	Hudson Line splits
	Melrose and Tremont stations are bypassed
	Bronx	8.9	Fordham ''Limited''	NYC Transit B, D, Buses Bx9, Bx12, Bx15, Bx17, Bx41, Bx55 Bee-Line: 60, 61, 62, 90
	Botanical Garden, Williams Bridge, and Woodlawn stations are bypassed
	Harlem Line splits
	Mount Vernon	14.0	Mount Vernon East	Bee-Line: 7, 40, 41, 42, 53, 54, 55
	Power change from third rail to catenary
	Pelham	15.1	Pelham	Bee-Line: 7
	Line joins Northeast Corridor
	New Rochelle	16.6	New Rochelle	Amtrak ''Regional'' Bee-Line: 7, 30, 42, 45, 60, 61, 62, 66
	Larchmont	18.7	Larchmont	Bee-Line: 60, 61, 70, 71
	Mamaroneck	20.5	Mamaroneck	Bee-Line: 60, 61
	Harrison	22.2	Harrison	Bee-Line: 5, 61
	Rye	24.1	Rye	Bee-Line: 61, 75, 76
	Port Chester	25.7	Port Chester	Bee-Line: 13, 61, 76 CT Transit Stamford: 11
Connecticut	Greenwich	28.1	Greenwich	Norwalk Transit: Greenwich Commuter Connection CT Transit Stamford: 11
		29.6	Cos Cob
		30.2	Riverside
		31.2	Old Greenwich	CT Transit Stamford: 11, 24
	Stamford	33.0	Stamford	Amtrak ''Acela Express'', ''Regional'' and ''Vermonter'' Shore Line East CT Transit Stamford: All routes Greyhound
	New Canaan Branch splits
	Darien	36.2	Noroton Heights	CT Transit Stamford: 42
		37.7	Darien	CT Transit Stamford: 41, 42
	Norwalk	39.2	Rowayton
		41.0	South Norwalk	Norwalk Transit: 10, 11, 12, Commuter Connection
	Danbury Branch splits
	Norwalk	42.0	East Norwalk	Norwalk Transit: 8, 11
	Westport	44.2	Westport	Norwalk Transit: Jesup Green shuttle, S2, S3, S4, IL, N, PF
		47.2	Green's Farms	Norwalk Transit: G1, G2
	Fairfield	48.9	Southport
		50.5	Fairfield	GBTA: 2, Coastal Link
	Bridgeport	55.4	Bridgeport	Amtrak ''Regional'' and ''Vermonter'' Shore Line East Coastal Link; GBTA: All routes except 14; Greyhound
	Stratford	59.0	Stratford	GBTA: 11
	Waterbury Branch splits
	Milford	63.2	Milford	Milford Transit: 2, 3, 4 CT Transit New Haven: J7; Coastal Link
	New Haven	72.3	New Haven-Union Station	Amtrak ''Acela Express'', ''Regional'' and ''Vermonter'' Shore Line East CT Transit New Haven: Commuter Connection PM dropoff, Temple Street Garage Shuttle, J, S Greyhound
		74.0	New Haven-State Street	Shore Line East CT Transit New Haven: Commuter Connection AM pickup, D, F, G, Q, Z

Notes

1. Metro-North's new passenger yard and facilities in New Haven ''DW Jacobs'' Retrieved 2007-09-08
2. Total monthly ridership ''State of Connecticut official site'' Retrieved 2007-09-03
3. [1] Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society 1969 chronology
4. [2] Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society 1971 chronology
5. [3] Regional Transit Development
Strategies Study, Strategies Evaluation Report, April 2005. See page 68 ''et seq''.
6. ''Report & Recommendations of the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board'' See page 129
7. "M set for Metro-North stations in W. Haven, Orange," 'New Haven Register', August 29, 2006

External links

★ Metro-North Railroad official site

★ Amateur photos along the New Haven Line (from a train)

★ New Haven line photos (passing it by I-95 highway)

★ Fix My Station Photo Campaign