(The Associated Press circulated the following on January 8.)
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Metro-North commuter rail line says ridership on all three lines last year broke 80 million for the first time.
A Metro-North spokesman says the New Haven line accounts for about 46 percent of the total, with the rest on the Harlem and Hudson lines.
Besides more passengers, Metro-North boasted a 97.7 percent on-time performance, meaning trains arrive within six minutes of their scheduled time.
The railroad spokesman cited higher gasoline prices as a major factor in more commuters opting for trains. Dan Brucker says highway congestion and parking prices also helped the commuter line.