The Metropolitan Transport Authority it has more railways that it would like to electrify.
The transit agency issued a request for proposals for a design-build contract along the Metro-North Railroad Hudson line that, among other tasks, will see contractors electrify about 11.5 miles of track.
The stretch, which is south of the Croton-Harmon stop, is the only four-track on the route that does not have a third lane, according to the application document. A single, diesel-only track where all the others are electric is an unusual arrangement, said Blair Lorenzo, executive director of the Effective Transit Alliance, an organization that advocates for improving transit in the New York region.
The construction site is within what the MTA calls its “third rail territory,” or 102 miles of Metro-North that have electric capacity and span the Hudson, New Haven and Harlem lines. In September last year, the department announced that new Siemens Mobility Charger locomotives were starting to operate specifically along the Husdon line. While the tracks’ older models only run electrically in the Grand Central Terminal tunnels, the Charger locomotives are built for long-distance, high-speed electric travel, Lorenzo said. Completing this latest electrification on the Hudson line would allow the new models to run without diesel as far as Croton-Harmon.
“At ETA, we believe electrifying New York’s commuter rail network should be a high priority, especially on high-traffic lines like the Hudson Line,” said Lorenzo.
The organization advocates, however, catenary conversions instead of third lanes, because the former is cheaper, safer to repair and allows for higher top speeds.
The MTA declined to comment on this particular request for proposals or what it means for the deployment of electric commuter trains. The agency’s 2025-2029 capital plan notes that the MTA plans to continue buying new diesel-electric locomotives for the Metro-North and replace the deteriorating third rail on all train lines.
In addition to completing electric train capabilities in the area, the contractor will also replace four below-grade bridges and complete four rock slope stabilization projects along the Hudson line.
