Greenwich commuters who ride Metro-North east of Stamford on weekends will face sharply reduced service on five weekends this fall as crews dismantle two 234-foot-tall utility towers from the 130-year-old WALK Bridge over the Norwalk River in Norwalk.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation, Metro-North and Amtrak announced Wednesday, Aug. 12 that modified schedules will run on select weekends from Saturday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Nov. 1.
The good news for riders boarding at Greenwich, Cos Cob, Riverside or Old Greenwich: local service between Grand Central Terminal and Stamford will not be affected, except for a schedule adjustment to one Saturday-morning train. The disruptions hit hardest between Stamford and New Haven.
September Impacts
The Sept. 12-13 and Sept. 19-20 weekends carry the deepest cuts. Wire demolition forces Metro-North to swap its electric trains for diesel-powered equipment between Grand Central and New Haven. Trains will run roughly every 90 minutes through the work zone, and riders should expect about 55% fewer seats than a typical weekend schedule.
That matters.
"While this work will require short-term weekend schedule adjustments, the end result will deliver long-term benefits for travelers in Connecticut and across the Northeast Corridor," Amtrak Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell said in the joint announcement.
October weekends less severe
The Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18 weekends will still see construction activity, but electric service will continue through the bridge zone. Metro-North plans about five trains per work window with roughly 30% fewer seats. The railroad said it will publish special October schedules in late September.
A fifth weekend, falling before Nov. 1, has not been specifically dated.
Riders should check MTA.info/alerts or the MTA TrainTime app for updates.
What Greenwich riders should do
Metro-North is encouraging riders traveling to or from New York City who are east of Stamford to use the high-capacity parking garages at Stamford and South Norwalk and catch the more frequent trains on the western segment of the line. Amtrak service between New York and New Haven will also be extremely limited on all five weekends.
CT DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto called the tower removal "a major milestone" in the bridge replacement program, which aims to replace the aging span with a modern, resilient bridge on the Northeast Corridor.
The announcement gives riders about four weeks to adjust plans before the first disrupted weekend. Project updates are available at WALKBridgeCT.com.
