Metro-North Railroad Announces Rebrand of Call Ahead Program to MNR Care

Program Available for Customers with Disabilities Requesting Assistance to Board and/or Exit Trains

MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced the rebrand of its “Call Ahead” program to “MNR Care,” a customer assistance program that will serve Metro-North riders with mobility disabilities who need assistance accessing or navigating the railroad system. The program was rebranded to align with the Long Island Rail Road’s LIRR Care program. The on-call service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, to help customers, including those with mobility disabilities, who require assistance to board and/or exit from a Metro-North train. 

Customers can use the service when traveling to or from any station on the Metro-North system. Customers can request assistance by contacting Metro-North ahead of their travel, by dialing 511, 212-532-4900, or 877-690-5114 for Connecticut riders. A Metro-North representative will then contact train crews to notify them to be on alert for customers requiring assistance. This helps train crews know to be ready to find a customer who needs assistance on the platform and deploy the bridge plate if needed. At Grand Central Terminal, courtesy wheelchair assistance is provided upon request. 

“As we look to increase compatibility between the two railroads where possible, as we did with the merging of the TrainTime apps, it made sense to do the same with MNR Care and LIRR Care,” said Metro-North President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. “Now, all railroad customers, whether they are riding on Metro-North or LIRR, will have the same resources and assistance available to them, all under one brand.” 

Adding to this service, Metro-North Station Ambassadors can be found at Metro-North's hubs. At these stations, customers can request assistance either by phone or in person, up to 15 minutes prior to a train departure. These Ambassadors, who are identifiable by either a blue vest or reflective green jacket, will assist with station-to-station coordination with our train crews. At Grand Central Terminal, courtesy wheelchair assistance is provided upon request. 

The ambassadors will escort the passenger to an elevator, if necessary, and to the track level, where they will be met by a conductor on the train who will assist with a bridge plate, to help them onto the train. At the passenger's destination, the train's conductor will again assist with a bridge plate to ensure they disembark safely. 

The rebranding to MNR Care is the latest step taken by the MTA’s commuter railroads, with $500 million dedicated for accessibility projects on both railroads. Metro-North is moving forward with accessibility upgrades at six stations on the Harlem Line, including plans to make the Woodlawn and Williams Bridge fully accessible.