Some Metro-North riders will get slapped with another 5% rate hike just as station closures hit

The Metro-North Railroad is hiking fares 5% on the New Haven line for trips to and from Connecticut — the second big increase in less than a year.The 5% fare increase takes hold on July 1 just as construction will close several stops in the Constitution State for the next 10 months.The latest hike comes less than a year after the Connecticut Department of Transportation jacked up rates 5% last September.Connecticut transportation officials said the increases are necessary to close an approximately $11 million funding gap for rail operations and to avoid service cuts.“As equipment, labor, and maintenance costs to operate these services continue to rise, fare adjustments were needed to sustain existing service levels and avoid reductions,” a CTDOT spokesperson said.But mere weeks after riders are forced to pay even more for a train many of them will be switched over to buses.Metro‑North will suspend all train service on the Waterbury Branch starting July 20 for at least 10 months while four stations — Derby-Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls and Seymour — are rebuilt and made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.Riders at all Waterbury line stations will be diverted to buses during that time.“Customers will continue to pay rail fares, but they can still expect the same level of service and reliability while being bused to their destination,” a spokesperson for CTDOT said.Prior Waterbury line construction had riders board buses at their usual rail stations and travel by bus to Bridgeport, where they transfer to regular New Haven Line trains to reach their final destination.The Waterbury Branch has seen ridership surge in recent years, with some stations now handling up to twice their pre‑pandemic passenger levels.The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the Metro-North, said in board documents that the construction will take “approximately ten months,” though the agency has a track record of missing similar dea...