After 23 years, major changes to Metro-North's Harmon shop are done

A decades-long modernization project at MTA Metro-North Railroad’s maintenance and operations hub in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, recently reached an end.

On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, other state and local dignitaries, and officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) hailed the completion of the project, which had been underway at Croton Harmon Yard since 2001.

The opening of the new 400,000-square-foot facility — now known as the Harmon Shop — will enable Metro-North to maintain train reliability and meet its maintenance needs for decades to come, Hochul said in a press release.

“These upgrades are investments for the railroad to operate reliably for the public, with trains arriving on time and with enough cars to carry all the passengers who want to ride,” she said.

The new facility features repair and support shops, and is equipped with a dozen car-hoists, four pedestal tracks, and multiple door- and roof-level platforms to assist in preventive maintenance. The second floor is designed to streamline the parts distribution between the new electric shop and adjacent support shops.

For more than 100 years, the 200-acre Croton Harmon Yard has played a vital role in Metro-North’s daily operations, said Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi.

“The timing of this project completion could not be better … [with] four straight years with an on-time performance of at least 97 percent,” she said. “Now, with a completed Harmon Yard, the railroad can continue to deliver exceptional service to tens of thousands of daily riders.”