Metro-North offers schedules via text message

You can now find out Metro-North train schedules by text message.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has partnered with a service called CooCoo.

If you text a request from your cell phone, such as “Milford to Grand Central,” to 266266, you’ll get back a list of scheduled trains.

“CooCoo’s text-messaging service is the perfect complement to TrainTime, an Internet-based service developed in-house for users of smart phones and desk-top computers,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut in a press release.

“This service expands the ability of our customers to access information on train arrival and departure times on a user-friendly, station-specific basis.”

The new service is one more way for train riders to make their commute easier. Another service (not sponsored by the MTA) is Clever Commute, in which riders use text messages to let each other know about delays and other issues.

The services are free (except for text-messaging fees).

For more information, go to www.CooCoo.com, http://www.mta.info/ or http://www.clevercommute.com/