Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, dba: MTA Metro-North Railroad
New York, NY · NTD ID 20078 · 2024 report year
Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, dba: MTA Metro-North Railroad carries 74.4 million passenger trips a year across three modes — commuter rail, bus and ferryboat — making it the 15th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in New York, NY.
It spends $1.71 billion a year running that service, or $23.03 per trip. Its commuter rail service, the largest of its modes, costs $23.02 per rider — 48% below the $44.41 median for the 27 US agencies reporting commuter rail.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 19% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 12% on 2023. Fares cover 37% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commuter Rail#2 of 27 nationally | 74,064,075 | $1.71 billion | $23.02 | -48% | 37% | 1,140 |
| Bus#508 of 1,162 nationally | 204,608 | $3.4 million | $16.76 | +21% | 10% | 9 |
| Ferryboat#29 of 39 nationally | 127,115 | $5.1 million | $39.78 | +105% | 2% | 2 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 74,395,798 | $1.71 billion | $23.03 |
| 2023 | 66,645,285 | $1.66 billion | $24.93 |
| 2022 | 54,739,511 | $1.46 billion | $26.64 |
| 2021 | 32,360,505 | $1.41 billion | $43.62 |
| 2020 | 29,537,783 | $1.46 billion | $49.53 |
| 2019 | 92,012,752 | $1.55 billion | $16.87 |
| 2018 | 92,437,511 | $1.58 billion | $17.10 |
| 2017 | 86,949,250 | $1.57 billion | $18.06 |
| 2016 | 86,872,761 | $1.52 billion | $17.53 |
| 2015 | 86,299,452 | $1.51 billion | $17.49 |
Where Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, dba: MTA Metro-North Railroad ranks
- Cheapest Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #7 of 24
- Most Expensive Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #18 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Commuter Rail Systems #2 of 27
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Commuter Rail Systems #3 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Ferry Systems #29 of 39
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Ask NTD about Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, dba: MTA Metro-North Railroad →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.