Metro-North Sets Weekend Ridership Record as Hudson Valley Travel Surges
Metro-North Railroad is experiencing a significant increase in ridership, setting a new weekend passenger record as demand for commuter and leisure travel continues to grow across the Hudson Valley.
According to an October 28 announcement from Governor Kathy Hochul, Metro-North carried 323,423 passengers during the October 24–25 weekend, surpassing its previous weekend record of 302,610 riders in June. The latest figure was also 25.5% higher than weekend ridership in October 2019.
The increase was driven in part by fall tourism, with travelers visiting the Hudson Valley for seasonal attractions, foliage viewing and events, including Tarrytown's Halloween festivities. To accommodate demand, Metro-North added 40 weekend trains in October, with expanded Hudson Line service scheduled to continue through November 8.
Overall, Metro-North ridership reached 90% of September 2019 levels, marking one of the railroad's strongest months of recovery since the pandemic. The railroad also recorded nearly 1.3 million weekday riders during the week of September 21–25.
Demand for faster commuter service is also increasing. Ridership on Hudson Line super-express trains, which can reduce daily commute times by up to 14 minutes, grew 8% since spring 2026, outpacing overall peak-period ridership growth on the line.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is continuing to invest in regional rail infrastructure, including new passenger cars, Hudson Line resiliency improvements and transit-oriented development initiatives in communities such as Beacon and Harrison.
The continued recovery in rail ridership underscores the importance of reliable transportation connections to the Hudson Valley's residential communities, employment centers and tourism economy.
