Officials: Record 85 million passengers rode on Metro-North in 2014

More riders took Metro-North last year than at any point in the railroad's history.

Officials said Monday that nearly 85 million passengers rode Metro-North in 2014. That's makes the railroad the second busiest passenger rail carrier in the country. Long Island Rail Road is No. 1 with nearly 86 million riders last year.

Ridership climbed on Metro-North by 1.3 million last year. It was spurred by an increased number of Westchester County residents commuting to Connecticut and Bronx residents shuttling to Westchester.

Trips into Manhattan represented a smaller portion of ridership. That's a big change in recent years. The Journal News says in 1984 two-thirds of Metro-North riders had traditional Manhattan commutes.

Officials say off-peak trains not traveling to Manhattan had the strongest growth.