Metro-North Railroad will offer free rides into New York City for its Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line customers next week in anticipation of a possible strike by NJ Transit engineers.
Starting Monday, tickets purchased at New York stations along the west of Hudson lines will be honored on Metro-North’s Hudson and Harlem line trains bound for Manhattan.
“The last thing we want is for those riders to be left in the lurch,” Metro-North President Justin Vonashek said Thursday during a press conference at the Tarrytown station.
Additionally, customers with Pascack Valley and Port Jervis tickets can ride for free on the Newburgh-Beacon and Haverstraw-Ossining ferries to connect with the Hudson Line. Free parking is available at both locations.
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What are bus and parking options?
Customers can also use the Hudson Link buses from Suffern, Spring Valley, Palisades Mall and other locations to connect with Metro-North stations in Tarrytown and White Plains. Parking is available at each location.
Metro-North warns that parking at rail stations east of the Hudson is limited and parking fees may apply. They recommend parking on the west side of the Hudson and taking a bus or ferry.
Metro-North President Justin Vonashek announces transit options for the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line customers if there’s a NJ Transit strike next week, May 8, 2025 in Tarrytown.
Parking passes for West of Hudson stations will be honored at Cortlandt, Beacon, New Hamburg and Poughkeepsie lots on the Hudson Line and North White Plains on the Harlem Line.
Farther north, parking for New Haven Line lots can be more expensive and restricted by residential permits, according to Metro-North.
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The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the union representing NJ Transit engineers, could strike as soon as Friday, May 16.
NJ Transit operates Metro-North service west of the Hudson under a contract with Metro-North. Commuters from Orange and Rockland counties can use the Pascack and Port Jervis lines to connect with Manhattan-bound trains in Hoboken.
Metro-North President Justin Vonashek, second left, and Jim Rusak, acting regional director from New York State DOT, chat with commuters after a press conference May 8, 2025 in Tarrytown. Metro-North announced transit options for the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line customers if there’s a NJ Transit strike next week.
“We urge everyone to plan ahead and explore the many other West of Hudson transit options available, including the Hudson Link express bus service, to help them get where they need to go safely in the event of a NJ Transit service disruption,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, the commissioner of the state Department of Transportation.
For more information about the Hudson Link go here.
Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA Today Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at tzambito@lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Port Jervis Line tickets will be accepted at other Metro-North stations in case of strike