The Metropolitan Transit Authority unveiled earlier this month the first two of a new fleet of electric-powered locomotives that will replace the current locomotives used on the Metro-North Railroad.
The New Haven line of the Metro-North Railroad carries passengers from the State Street and Union stations down the coast of the Long Island Sound to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The new SC42-DM locomotives will upgrade and replace the railroad's existing P32 models currently used for trains serving Poughkeepsie, Southeast, Danbury and Waterbury. The MTA promises increased reliability and decreased environmental impact with the introduction of the new models.
"I think it's a good thing," Pat McGovern, who takes the Metro-North multiple times a week in order to get to work in New York, said. "I assume other countries have done this with some success, so I'm sure it will work here. Any improvement is good."
The new models will operate on electric power through all 102 miles of the line's third rail territory -- which extends to Croton-Harmon, Southeast and Pelham -- while previous models only operated in electric mode in the four miles through the Grand Central Terminal tunnels. Additionally, when operating in diesel mode, the new models will cut airborne pollutants by over 85 percent.
Reliability will also be upgraded through "new state-of-the-art monitoring and diagnostic systems," which will allow crews to spot possible problems more quickly, according to a Metropolitan Train Association press release.
"The change to electric, I think it's wonderful," Susan MacDonald, who lives in Branford and is an occasional rider on the Metro-North, said. "I don't know all the ins and outs of trains, but I'm thinking it will be better, cleaner."
Residents in New Haven rely on the Metro-North railroad for transport to and from New York, with an annual ridership of approximately 28.7 million in 2023.
Many passengers were unaware of the planned implementation of the new models, and some passengers expressed concerns about the changes.
"I'm wondering, will there be any safety issues with regards to storms if they're going electric?" Kayann Anthony, a New Haven resident who rides the Metro-North every weekday to get to work, said. "I'm not a fan of electric anyway, I don't really feel like it saves the environment."
In total, 33 locomotives will eventually be used on the railroad. 27 of these will be funded by the MTA, while the remaining six will be funded by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The dual-mode locomotives are being built by Siemens Mobility in Sacramento, California under a $414 million contract awarded in March 2021.
The first two of the new locomotives are expected to be placed into passenger service in early 2025.