Amtrak accuses Metro-North of blocking nonrevenue trains on Northeast Corridor in lawsuit

Amtrak announced Thursday it is suing the Metro-North Railroad for allegedly blocking nonrevenue trains from running on a portion of the busy Northeast Corridor for over two months.  

Amtrak said it accused the commuter rail of "violating agreements we've had in place for more than 35 years, causing escalating harm to Amtrak's operations, undermining safety‑critical rail activity, disrupting service needed by millions of passengers, and putting the reliability of intercity rail service at risk," in a lawsuit filed late Wednesday night. 

Amtrak uses Metro-North's New Haven Line for service between New York City and Boston. It is seeking an injunction that would immediately allow its nonrevenue trains to run on the tracks.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates Metro-North and the line running through Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester County and along the Connecticut shoreline.

"The people of the Bronx have been waiting generations watching trains blow by without stopping. We have a project that will change that and improve lives for people in the Bronx, cutting their commute times by 40 minutes. It's not clear who in the federal government is directing Amtrak's lawyers to create distractions from the real issue—getting Bronxites the service they deserve," MTA Chief of Policy and External Relations John J. McCarthy said in response to the lawsuit.

Nonrevenue trains do not carry passengers; they are used to test infrastructure and equipment, like new trains entering service. They also include railcars being relocated for maintenance and other needs.