At CP 216 (MP 16.3), formerly Shell Tower, in New Rochelle, the double track Amtrak line trails into the south side (MP 15/10 on the turnouts) of the original New Haven four track, CTC, route from Grand Central, now owned by Metro-North, heading northeast, with speed limit 70 mph for passenger trains (and 40 mph for freights) on all tracks, past a road bridge overhead the multi-platform passenger station (west side plus east-side island, with a single center non-platform track at New Rochelle (MP 16.6), a road bridge overhead within the station, extra track on the southeast side, crossovers at CP 217 (MP 16.7), a 30 mph freight speed limit from MP 16.9 to MP 17.0, a bridge over a street, two extra tracks to the southeast, MP 17.2, where the speed limit rises to 90 mph on all tracks, two road bridges overhead, the passenger station at Larchmont (MP 18.7), with two side platforms and wooden depot on the northwest side, a road bridge overhead, a footbridge overhead, two bridges over streets, and the passenger station at Mamaroneck (MP 20.5), with two side platforms and wooden depot to the northwest.
There is a bridge over a street, two road bridges overhead, MP 21.4, where the speed limit falls to 75 mph, two road bridges overhead, the passenger station at Harrison (MP 22.2), with two side platforms and wooden depot on the northwest side, a street alongside to the southeast, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at CP 223 (MP 23.5), a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a street, a curve with 60 mph maximum speed, an old Tower on the northwest side, a street alongside to the southeast, the passenger station at Rye (MP 24.1), with brick depot on the northwest side and two side platforms, an angled road bridge overhead, a curve with 60 mph maximum speed, two road bridges overhead, the passenger station at Port Chester (MP 25.7), with wooden depot to the north and two side platforms, and two bridges over streets within the station, a bridge over a street, a curve with 45/30 maximum speed, a bridge over an angled street, a bridge over a street, and State Line (MP 26.1), where the line passes from New York State into Connecticut and the speed limit falls to 70 mph.
The line turns east-northeast, following (but back from) the north shore of Long Island Sound, past a box labeled NH 202, I-95 alongside to the south, a bridge over a street, a rocky cutting, a bridge over a street, the passenger station at Greenwich (MP 28.1), with a wooden depot to the northwest, two side platforms, and a bridge over a street within the station, a bridge over a street, a rocky cutting, a bridge over a stream, crossovers at CP 229 (MP 29.0), a road bridge overhead, the passenger station at Cos Cob (MP 29.6), with a wooden depot to the northwest, two side platforms, and a road bridge overhead within the station, where the New Haven once generated the electricity used on its electrified lines, an old Tower on the south side, and the through-truss movable bridge over an inlet at CP 230 (MP 30.0), with speed limit 50/30 on the bridge, where the speed limit reverts to 75 mph.
There is a passenger station at Riverside (MP 30.3), with two side platforms and wooden depot to the northwest, a road bridge overhead, two bridges over streets, the passenger station at Old Greenwich (MP 31.3), with two side platforms and wooden depot to the northwest, a bridge over a street, a golf course to the southeast, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at West Stam (MP 32.9), a bridge over a street, a bridge over a river, a 60 mph curve, a box CF233 on the south side, a bridge over a street within the station, the two island-platform (and two side platform on the same tracks as the outer sides of the islands) passenger station at Amtrak-served (and Metro-North served) Stamford (MP 33.1), with a single express track through the center, and two pedestrian bridges, the westernmost of which contains the depot, with streets to the north and south, and the junction at Stam (MP 33.3), where the New Canaan line branches away to the north-northeast and the main line continues east-northeast, with a four-track Metro-North yard and maintenance facility on the south side.
All of the stations on the New Haven line, except Stamford, have four tracks running through them, but only two platforms on the outermost tracks. The provision of four tracks makes it possible for the express services to overtake slower local stopping services, permitting the latter to stop at all stations without impeding the progress of the expresses. This is even more important during the rush period than it is during the off-peak period when we traveled. Stamford has “dual island platforms” that will permit the expresses and locals to be in the platforms simultaneously, and for two-way interchange of passengers to occur.
The timetable on the New Haven Line, where Stamford is located, provides for both Express and Local Service, which in the off-peak operates on an hourly pattern, with some half-hourly services. In each iteration, Stamford is an interchange point between services to/from New Haven that run express between Stamford and Manhattan (125th St. and GCT), and local services that start at Stamford and serve every station into GCT. Inbound, the express precedes the local at the same platform. Outbound, the terminating local precedes the continuing express. Additionally, there is an hourly shuttle on the New Canaan branch that originates in Stamford. (In the peak period, there is both much more services on the mainline and the branch trains run all the way to/from GCT.)