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Your next fall outing could involve considerably fewer brake lights and considerably more staring out the window. Metro-North’s seasonal “Leaf Peeper” trains are back, giving New Yorkers more chances to head up the Hudson Valley for autumn colors without navigating highway traffic.
The additional service began last week and runs every weekend through Sunday, November 8. Metro-North is adding six trains to accommodate foliage-season travelers: three morning departures from Grand Central Terminal heading north toward Beacon and Poughkeepsie, followed by three afternoon trains bringing passengers back to the city.
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That gives you a pretty straightforward plan for a fall day trip: leave Manhattan in the morning, spend a few hours exploring upstate and return before the Sunday scaries hit. (Or go on Saturday and reserve Sunday for recovering.) The Hudson Line itself makes the journey part of the attraction, following the river for much of the ride north. During foliage season, don't miss out on a window seat. You can take in the changing landscape en route, then get off for an afternoon beyond the five boroughs.
The seasonal additions come alongside broader Metro-North timetable changes that took effect Sunday, October 4. Those schedules add five regularly scheduled weekday trains across the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines, with adjustments to some existing departure times and stops.
For Hudson Line riders, that includes a new 4:52pm peak express from Grand Central to Croton-Harmon, stopping at Tarrytown, Philipse Manor, Scarborough and Ossining. The Harlem Line gets a morning express from North White Plains, while New Haven Line changes include expanded morning capacity and two new afternoon expresses to South Norwalk.
Those weekday changes are useful commuter news, but the weekend extras are the main attraction for anyone whose October plans involve admiring trees.
Just remember: Extra trains give you more ways to reach the foliage, but they don’t put the leaves on a timetable. Check conditions before choosing your weekend.