Metro-North Weekend Ridership Surges, Offering Bright Spot Amid Weekday Declines

State Comptroller's report suggests commuter rail could do more to capitalize on rising leisure and tourism travel on weekends.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 2:23pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A bold, geometric illustration in the Art Deco style, depicting the grand, sweeping architecture of a train station with sleek, streamlined forms and smooth airbrushed gradients, capturing the romance and scale of rail travel without any literal people or text.Metro-North's weekend ridership surge reflects the growing popularity of leisure travel, offering a bright spot for the commuter rail system amid persistent weekday declines.Manhattan Today

A report by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that Metro-North Railroad's weekend ridership has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 92% of 2019 totals in 2025, while weekday commuting numbers continue to lag behind. The comptroller recommends the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) focus on increasing weekend service reliability and frequency to meet the ongoing demand, as well as address fare evasion issues impacting revenue.

Why it matters

The surge in Metro-North's weekend ridership, driven by leisure and tourism travel, represents a bright spot for the commuter rail system which has struggled with reduced weekday commuter traffic since the pandemic. Capitalizing on this weekend demand could help offset the financial losses from the persistent weekday ridership declines.

The details

In 2025, Metro-North's weekend ridership totaled 229,614, roughly 92% of the 250,228 tallied in 2019 before the pandemic. The Long Island Rail Road has seen an even stronger recovery, with its 2025 weekend ridership of 267,567 up 27% compared to 2019. Metro-North's weekend recovery tracks with trends on New York City subways, where 2025 ridership reached around 90% of 2019 levels. The report notes that Manhattan, with its low unemployment rate and popularity with tourists, is likely benefiting from the near-return of overall visitors.

  • In 2025, Metro-North's overall ridership was 71.4 million, around 82% of 2019's 86.6 million rides.
  • In 2025, Metro-North's weekend ridership totaled 229,614, roughly 92% of the 250,228 tallied in 2019.

The players

Thomas DiNapoli

New York State Comptroller who issued the report on Metro-North's ridership trends.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

The regional transportation authority that oversees Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The MTA should continue to focus on increasing the reliability and frequency of service on weekends to meet the ongoing rise in demand.”

— Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller

“Such programs likely led to increases in ridership, especially in the summer, and should be continued or expanded to meet demand.”

— Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller

What’s next

The report suggests the MTA should continue offering Saturday discounts that allow monthly ticket holders to ride anywhere on the railroad at no extra cost, and expand programs that let monthly pass holders bring along up to two additional passengers for $1 each way. These initiatives have likely contributed to the surge in weekend ridership and should be continued or expanded further.

The takeaway

Metro-North's weekend ridership rebound highlights the potential for commuter rails to capitalize on the rise in leisure and tourism travel, even as weekday commuter numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels. By focusing on improving weekend service reliability and frequency, as well as addressing fare evasion, the MTA could further boost this weekend ridership and help offset the financial strain from persistent weekday declines.