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WPCNR COMMUTERING. BY John F. Bailey. June 15, 2020:

Extra express trains to Grand Central Terminal added by Metro North to handle expected surge in riders expected today, met commuters varying from 30 to 50 persons (at the most)to as low as 20 on the 6 expresses WPCNR observed this morning.  Everybody got seats, it was easy for them to self-distance on board the trains.

This return of the commuter workforce may improve throughout the week. There appeared to be considerably more persons disembarking the northbound trains terminating in White Plains. Southbound locals were even less filled, only one lone commuter took the southbound 8:30 AM local.

The 7:50 and 7:55 AM expresses (usually jammed before coronovirus) to get into Grand Central Terminal before 9AM, were unusually light.

The last two weeks Metro North had been running two trains on the hour, and perhaps commuters were unaware of the new times, since Metro North only puts the information on the website. However that would mean larger  crowds at 20 past the hour, but the crowds were not larger.

Some other observations: commuters should be aware they can only pay for tickets by debit card or credit cart. No cash is accepted.  There are no rest rooms available at all, so “go before you go.”

The station construction is in mid process. The parking garage and parking lot adjacent the taxi stand are wide open for parking.  The first floor of the parking garage and half of the second floor  still had parking places in them. The MTA Preseident said last week that they had gained 5% in traffic and were still 90% below normal ridership.

Commuters were observing social distancing and 99% were wearing masks. But if commuter confidence is restored, there is not a lot of room on these platforms to accommodate the human traffic of the past. (You used to have to worry about being too close to the platform when the expresses came roaring in, no more.)