This should be good news for the New Haven line commuters. According to the Courant:

Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced today that Metro-North is adding five new morning peak trains, adding 600 seats for those commuting between New Haven and Grand Central and 950 seats for intrastate customers.

The additional Metro-North trains will save over 2,400 customers up to 14 minutes of travel time, Rell projected.

New Metro-North timetables will be available Monday at Grand Central and outlying stations.

Rell today also announced enhancements to Shore Line East peak-hour service, including new morning and evening Stamford connections with Grand Central Terminal trains.

Starting at noon tomorrow, the public can park for free on weekends at the 191-space parking lot at North and South Frontage roads in Bridgeport, Rell said.

Yet this news piece is short on the details. Are new rail cars increasing the train load capacity? Is this a reaction to the $1 surcharge w/o new cars? How come these moves weren’t made earlier? is train rider-ship up? What’s going to happen to train station parking capacity?

In other words lots of questions. But those don’t take away for the this step in the right direction.

Source: Hartford Courant, Gov. Rell Announces Rail Enhancements, By GARY LIBOW, March 15, 2007