See Metro-North’s new heritage locomotive for USA’s 250th anniversary
Metro-North unveiled a new locomotive for America’s 250th anniversary April 30, 2026 in North White Plains. Tania Savayan/lohud
Free weekend shuttle bus service between Newburgh and Beacon starts today, Saturday, July 4, offering connections to Metro-North Railroad trains to and from New York City.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the success of weekday service between the Hudson River towns, introduced in January after ferry service was shut down, convinced state officials there was enough demand.
“We’ve heard from residents on the west side of the Hudson River about their limited public transit options and in 2026 we are changing that,” Hochul said Thursday.
The buses will run between 7:45 a.m. and 8:52 p.m. on weekends and holidays and will connect with 27 Metro-North trains.
To see the full schedule, go leprechaunlines.com.
The buses will be run by Leprechaun Lines under a contract with the state Department of Transportation. And they’ll remain free through the end of the year.
“This is an exciting moment for our Orange County community, and for the Hudson Valley as a whole,” said Rep. Pat Ryan, a Hudson Valley Democrat. “We’ve been fighting for years for better West-of-Hudson transit options, and this expanded service makes real progress towards the transit system our community deserves – one that is faster, cheaper and better equipped to handle the needs of our growing community.”
In January, the state expanded the number of weekday bus trips over the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to 65, up from 41 last year.
The move followed Metro-North’s decision last summer to eliminate ferry service between the two towns due to low ridership. The service cost the Metropolitan Transportation Authority more than $2 million a year.
Advocates continue to press the state to restore ferry service across the Hudson that would connect Dutchess and Orange counties. In May, the Orange County Industrial Agency agreed to kick in $100,000 toward a weekend pilot program, but that’s just half of what will be needed to revive ferry service.
Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA TODAY Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at [email protected]
