The Metro-North Railroad (MNCR) is a commuter railroad system serving two of the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan and the Bronx), Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, and Orange Counties in New York, as well Fairfield and New Haven Counties in Connecticut. It was established by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1983 to acquire operation of all commuter rail service in New York and Connecticut from Conrail, which itself had been formed in 1976 through the merging of a number of financially troubled railroads, and previously operated commuter railroad service under contract from the MTA.