New York MTA Launches Contactless Payment System on Hudson Rail Link

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that the authority’s contactless payment system, OMNY, has expanded to the Hudson Rail Link, Metro-North Railroad’s connecting bus service in the Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil sections of the Bronx. 

OMNY, the fare payment system for New York City Transit, expanded to AirTrain JFK and the Roosevelt Island Tram last year. 

Hudson Rail Link users will now be able to join riders of the other services to tap and go with their smart device with a digital wallet, such as a phone or watch, contactless credit or debit card, or OMNY card. 

As with New York City Transit’s subways and buses, OMNY will allow Hudson Rail Link users to participate in the MTA’s seven-day fare capping program. Customers’ first tap into the system will start a seven-day period in which customers will never pay more than $34, the cost of a weekly unlimited MetroCard. Customers will be charged $2.90 for their first 11 rides, and $2.10 for their 12th ride. The 13th and all subsequent rides are free for the rest of the seven days.  

“Riders in Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil have been asking for OMNY on the Hudson Rail Link and today we’ve answered that call with the full rollout of the contactless payment system on this Bronx transit service,” said MTA Chair/CEO Janno Lieber.“Contactless fare payment remains the fastest way for subway, bus, and now Hudson Rail Link customers to pay their fares and move around the City and throughout the region.” Customers in Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil depend on the Hudson Rail Link to access the Metro North Railroad car-free," said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. "Integrating this system into OMNY means faster passenger boarding and quicker commutes and moves the MTA towards a full rollout of contactless payments throughout our system." 

New York MTA Shares OMNY Data

Transit customers have used OMNY to tap into the transit system more than a billion times, with the billionth tap occurring on July 26, 2023. 

In the latest Spring 2023 Customers Count Survey, OMNY posted a 79% fare payment satisfaction rate. Customers have tapped into all 472 subway stations and boarded 204 local bus routes and 31 express buses. 

Of the 195 countries that issue bank cards, OMNY has processed a card from every single one of them. On Saturday, December 9, 2023, the New York City subway recorded 2,918,691 paid rides, the highest number of weekend rides since the pandemic – 58.5% of all rides were OMNY tap-and-go customers, a single-day record. 

OMNY's market share of full-fare subway rides continues to be at 70% since the MTA updated its fare capping schedule on Aug. 20.