The Leaf Peepers Are Coming by Train: Metro-North Adds Hudson Line Trains Through November 8
By June Mercer, RFTUV Hudson Valley
If you are driving into Beacon or Poughkeepsie on a Saturday afternoon this fall, give yourself a little extra time. The platforms are going to be busy.
Metro-North Railroad added weekend "Leaf Peeper" trains on the Hudson Line beginning Saturday, October 3, running through November 8, according to Lohud (USA TODAY Network). That extra service is drawing visitors from the city into the valley, and Dutchess County's two main stations are among the primary destinations.
What Metro-North added
Lohud reports that 28 additional trains were added to the Hudson Line schedule for the fall foliage season. On the northbound side, five extra morning trains run toward Beacon and Poughkeepsie each weekend. Eleven additional express trains run from Grand Central Terminal to Croton-Harmon on the same days. On the return, three more afternoon trains depart from Poughkeepsie and Beacon back to Grand Central, and nine extra express trains run from Croton-Harmon south to Grand Central.
The Highlands Current confirmed the additional northbound and southbound service, noting that the MTA has been promoting Catskills and Hudson Valley sightseeing and the region's award-winning restaurants as draws for the trip.
For exact departure times, check the MTA's posted schedule directly before you travel. This piece does not print specific times, because those details can shift and the MTA's site will always have the most current information.
Why this fall
The expanded service reflects a change in where Metro-North is seeing its ridership grow. Metro-North President Justin Vonashek told the USA TODAY Network that the added trains bring weekend Hudson Line service up by about 25 percent this fall.
That investment in weekend capacity makes sense given the numbers. Lohud reports that weekend ridership this year is already outpacing 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Weekday ridership, by contrast, remains about 16 percent below pre-pandemic numbers, a shift the outlet attributes to changed commuting habits since the pandemic. People are taking the train for leisure now more than for the office commute, and Metro-North is adding capacity to match that.
For a community like Beacon, which has become a well-established day-trip destination, 25 percent more weekend trains means a real increase in foot traffic walking off those platforms and into town.
The color report
As of early October, an I Love NY foliage report published October 4, cited by Lohud, puts Dutchess County in the early stages. Beacon and Poughkeepsie are showing about 10 percent color change. Fishkill is a bit further along at 15 percent. Across the county the landscape is still mostly green, with touches of red and yellow beginning to show.
The Catskills are considerably further along, at around 45 percent color change as of the same report.
That means the Hudson Valley portion of any leaf-peeping trip is still building toward its peak. If you have some flexibility on timing, the weeks ahead are likely to offer more color than what is out there right now. The Catskills will probably peak first for visitors riding north from the city, but the valley's hillsides should catch up through October.
Practical notes for valley riders
For Dutchess County residents, this service expansion cuts both ways. If you have visitors coming up from the city by train, Beacon and Poughkeepsie are their logical gateways into the county. Expect busier platforms, fuller parking near the stations, and more foot traffic through station-adjacent neighborhoods on peak weekends.
If you are thinking about a day trip yourself, the extra trains make that easier, and leaving the car home is worth considering on a fall Saturday. A rail trip into Poughkeepsie or Beacon, or a run down toward Croton-Harmon for connections south, can sidestep a lot of the traffic that builds on Routes 9 and 9D during foliage season.
Either way, check the MTA schedule before you go. The added trains are there through November 8; the specific times are on the MTA website.
The foliage may peak early or carry into the first weeks of November. Either way, there will be more trains on the Hudson Line than a typical fall to carry people up into the valley. For local businesses and residents, it is worth knowing the company is coming.
Sources and further reading
Lohud (USA TODAY Network), Metro-North Hudson Line fall service
Highlands Current, Metro-North foliage season trains
Lohud (USA TODAY Network), New York fall foliage report
