Home/Metro-North/New Canaan/Mt Vernon East to Grand Central
Mt Vernon East → Grand Central
- Travel time
- 31min
- Peak fare
- $12.25
- Off-peak
- $9.00
- Weekday trains
- 48
Trains run direct from Mt Vernon East to Grand Central on the New Canaan Branch, no change of train. The trip takes 27 to 40 minutes and covers 13.4 miles with 2 stops in between. There are 48 trains each weekday, roughly one every 27 minutes, with the first at 1:37 AM and the last at 12:47 AM. A one-way ticket costs $12.25 at peak and $9.00 off-peak.
This is the inbound direction, into Grand Central. Weekday trains scheduled to arrive between 6:00 and 10:00 AM charge the peak fare, $12.25; the rest of the day and all weekend the off-peak fare, $9.00, applies. In this direction the gap between trains is about 17 minutes in the morning peak and 30 minutes at midday. 5 of the 48 weekday trains skip stops; the fastest run is what the travel-time range below reflects. Going back, Grand Central to Mt Vernon East has 44 weekday trains, first at 12:25 AM and last at 11:38 PM, taking 23 to 28 minutes. See the return trip.
Updated 21 Sep 2026 · Metro-North Railroad GTFS · MTA Metro-North fares to Grand Central, effective July 1 2026
The New Canaan Branch leaves the New Haven Line at Stamford and runs north through Glenbrook, Springdale and Talmadge Hill to New Canaan.
Calling points
ServiceMt Vernon East to Grand Central
FaresZone 12 → Zone 1
Source: MTA Metro-North fares to Grand Central, effective July 1 2026.
How the pass break-even is calculated
Metro-North prices by fare zone, counted outward from Grand Central Terminal and Harlem-125th Street, which are zone 1. The Hudson and Harlem Lines use one series of zones; the New Haven Line uses a separate series that starts at zone 11, so a zone number on its own does not say how far you are from Manhattan. Trips that do not touch zone 1 use intermediate fares, which cost the same on every train.
Peak fares apply on weekday trains scheduled to arrive at Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street between 6:00 and 10:00 AM, to leave them between 4:00 and 8:00 PM, and on trains leaving Grand Central between 6:00 and 9:00 AM. Weekends and holidays are off-peak all day.
Tickets are sold in the MTA TrainTime app, at station machines and ticket windows, and on board at a higher price. Senior, disabled and Medicare fares are reduced but are not valid on weekday morning peak trains into Manhattan. Weekly and monthly tickets cover unlimited travel between two zones. Fares on the Connecticut portion of the New Haven Line and its branches are set with the Connecticut Department of Transportation and published on the same MTA fare charts this site reads.
Stopping pattern
Questions
How long is the train from Mt Vernon East to Grand Central?
Between 27 and 40 minutes on the published schedule; the typical run is 31 minutes with 2 stops in between.
Are there express trains from Mt Vernon East to Grand Central?
Yes. 5 of the 48 weekday trains skip stops. The fastest makes 0 stops and the fullest 2, which is the difference between 27 and 40 minutes.
Is it cheaper off-peak?
Yes. The one-way fare is $9.00 off-peak and $12.25 on a peak train. Peak means a weekday arrival at the terminal between 6:00 and 10:00 AM.
When is the first and last train from Mt Vernon East?
The first weekday departure is at 1:37 AM and the last at 12:47 AM. Weekends run 37 trains on Saturday and 31 on Sunday.
How often do trains run in the morning peak?
Between 6 and 10 AM the gap between departures averages about 17 minutes in this direction.
Are Mt Vernon East and Grand Central accessible?
Mt Vernon East is listed as fully accessible and Grand Central as fully accessible in the MTA station dataset. Lift outages are not reflected here; check the operator before you travel.
Which fare zones does this trip cross?
Mt Vernon East is in zone 12 and Grand Central in zone 1. The fare is set by those two zones, not by the stops in between.
Do I need to change trains?
No. Every train counted here runs direct on the New Canaan Branch.