Officials announce major Metro-North service reductions this weekend for Walk Bridge work
Weekend service on Metro-North and Amtrak will be severely reduced as crews remove the 234 foot-tall towers along the Walk Bridge in Norwalk. Passengers are urged to travel from Stamford instead.
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Expect major weekend travel disruptions on Metro-North Railroad beginning this Saturday.
Between now and Nov. 1, crews will remove the iconic iron towers of the Walk Bridge, which have stood high above South Norwalk for 130 years.
It’s a major milestone in the years-long project to replace the aging bridge.
130-YEAR-OLD BRIDGE
The Walk Bridge, constructed in 1896, has long been a headache for trains across the Northeast. The bridge frequently got stuck in the open position, delaying rail traffic and even forcing commuters to evacuate trains.
“We had 12 failures in 2011, 16 failures in 2013 and twice in two weeks in 2014,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.
The state is spending $1 billion in a seven-year project to replace the bridge with 80% federal funding. Construction began in 2023, requiring the Maritime Aquarium’s IMAX theatre to be demolished.
Starting this weekend, crews will begin taking the towers down, along with their support cables. They will be replaced with smaller towers.
“People are going to see much more happening right now than they have in the last few years because so much of the preliminary stuff has been underground or under the water,” said Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk).
MAJOR SERVICE DISRUPTIONS
On weekends, Metro-North trains will only operate every 90 minutes through the construction zone. They will have limited seating capacity due to running diesel trains. Amtrak service will also be severely limited.
Shuttle train service will run between Bridgeport and New Haven.
“This means there will be fewer trains with fewer seats for our customers east of Stamford,” Metro-North President Justin Vonashek said.
Metro-North is urging riders headed to New York City to leave from the Stamford or South Norwalk stations, where free parking will be offered.
Weekday commutes are unaffected.
Click HERE or use the MTA TrainTime app to see how your trip is impacted. You can also call (866) 690-5114 for more information.
FASTER TRAINS – EVENTUALLY
The project is part of a larger plan to speed up commutes – including 90 m.p.h. trains – by replacing century-old tracks and bridges, including the Connecticut River Bridge in southeastern Connecticut.
“Faster trips, greater reliability, and better experience for every passenger,” said Tom Moritz, Amtrak’s Assistant Vice President of Infrastructure Services..
But don't expect speeds to increase much around the Walk Bridge itself.
“It will improve speeds over this bridge but with almost every train that passes through here, stopping at South Norwalk station, they’re going to slow down to approach and stop at South Norwalk station,” Eucalitto said. “It’s a very busy station.”
Eucalitto said the Walk Bridge project should be completed by 2030.
