Overview

• Service begins Oct. 6 with limited-stop morning departures from Poughkeepsie at 6:08, 6:44, and 7:05 and evening returns from Grand Central at 5:09, 5:30, and 6:12.
• Five runs will complete the Poughkeepsie–Grand Central trip in 88–89 minutes and one in 95 minutes, which officials call the fastest times in Metro-North history.
• Beacon riders will have trips under 1 hour 15 minutes, saving roughly 14 minutes each way, or about 70 minutes per week.
• The rollout arrives a year earlier than the original 2026 target, with state and railroad leaders saying the work finished ahead of schedule and under budget.
• Metro-North used simulation tools plus GPS and signal data after signaling upgrades to raise speeds and refine schedules, while adding five extra weekend ‘Leaf Peeper’ trains between Oct. 5 and Nov. 9 and adjusting dozens of other trips for efficiency.