In a 2006 report, the "Staten Island Advance" explored the restoration of passenger service on of the North Shore Branch between St. George and Arlington. Completion of a study is necessary to qualify the project for an estimated $360 million. A preliminary study found that ridership could reach 15,000 daily. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York requested $4 million of federal funding for a detailed feasibility study. In 2012, the MTA released an analysis of North Shore transportation solutions which included proposals for the reintroduction of heavy rail, light rail or bus rapid transit using the North Shore line's right-of-way.
Possible light rail and branch restoration
Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway | Possible light rail and branch restoration
North Shore Branch  is one of them The North Shore Branch, the South Beach Branch and the Travis Branch. North Shore Branch, South beach branch North Shore Branch, South Beach Branch and Travis Branch.
how long is the staton island ferry ride
user
Approximately 25 minutes
assistant
where is this located?
user
The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island
assistant
when it started its service?
user
1810
assistant
who all can ride it?
user
Passengers from  New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island
assistant
and how much is its fare?
user
In 2012 fare was $4.86,  it rose to $5.87 in 2016, before dropping to $5.16 in 2017. In 2017, it  was $6.50, after accounting for the $2.75 per-passenger fare
assistant
you have mentioned about an island above; what is its geographical location?
user
It is a borough of New York City, the island is topographically and geologically a part of New Jersey, the  Island is separated from Long Island by the Narrows and from mainland New Jersey
assistant
so before the aforementioned transport service started in this island, was it a railway junction?
user
No,  Staten Island Railway opened after the ferry service
assistant
and what was its date of opening?
user
1860
assistant
how is the police related to it?
user
The MTA Police Department was created in 1998 with the merger of the Long Island Rail Road Police Department
assistant
what are the various branches of this railway line?
user
In 2008, restoration was discussed along the mostly abandoned line as part of the island's light-rail plan. An environmental impact assessment is being worked on for the implementation of a bus rapid transit line on the North Shore Branch.
Staten Island Railway | North Shore Branch
The railroad has dropped a number of branches due to lack of ridership over the years. Part of the Rockaway Beach Branch became part of the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway, while others were downgraded to freight branches, and the rest abandoned entirely. Additionally, the Long Island Rail Road operated trains over portions of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) elevated and subway lines until 1917.
Long Island Rail Road | Former branches
Upon the dissolution of the Manhattan Beach Branch in 1924, the line became a freight spur between the Bushwick and Bay Ridge Branches in Brooklyn. Freight traffic started to significantly decline in 1938, and on February 9, 1939, eight blocks of track, or , were removed between Starr and Himrod Streets. Further dismantling took place between 1957 and 1962 and throughout much of the late 20th century. On January 20, 1966, when the New York state government purchased the Long Island Rail Road, the Bay Ridge Branch and the Evergreen Branch (excluding the G&ER portion) remained part of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Evergreen Branch | Decline
Continuing east, five branches split from the Main Line. In order from west to east, they are: The Main Line contains four tracks between Harold and Queens Interlockings, and two tracks to the west and east of these points. Public timetables refer to the Main Line east of Hicksville as the Ronkonkoma Branch. The Ronkonkoma Branch continues eastward as a two-track electrified branch to Ronkonkoma station, where it was double-tracked in between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma in 2018. Prior, it was mostly an electrified single-track branch for the most part.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Introduction
The Mount Loretto Spur is an abandoned branch whose purpose was to serve the Mount Loretto Children's Home. The spur diverged from the Main Line south of Pleasant Plains. The B&O Railroad served the non-electrified branch, which had some industry and a passenger station, until 1950. Although its track was removed during the 1960s and 1970s, some ties were visible until the 1980s. A coal trestle is all that remains of the branch.
Staten Island Railway | Mount Loretto Spur
The North Shore Branch closed to passenger service at midnight on March 31, 1953. A small portion of the western end is used for freight service as part of the ExpressRail intermodal network at the Howland Hook Marine Terminal. The network, which opened in 2007, connects to the Chemical Coast after crossing the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge. The North Shore Branch served Procter & Gamble, United States Gypsum, shipbuilders and a car float at Saint George Yard. A smaller eastern portion, which provided seasonal passenger service to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark station (where the Staten Island Yankees play), operated from June 24, 2001, to June 18, 2010.
Staten Island Railway | North Shore Branch
As part of the first phase, St. George would be connected with Arlington Yard, where an intermodal facility could divert express bus and car passengers that went to Manhattan via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The second phase would connect the yard with the New Jersey Transit system and the Travis Branch, providing alternate ways of getting to Manhattan and capturing the reverse commuter market from Staten Island to New Jersey. The DCP's Staten Island Reverse Commute UTMA Study projected 419 work trips from Staten Island to Woodbridge and Edison in New Jersey, and expected that number to increase if the line was extended using the Staten Island Railroad Company Line in New Jersey and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor.
North Shore Branch | Possible reactivation for passenger service
Commuters on the railway typically use the Staten Island Ferry to reach Manhattan; the line is accessible from within the Ferry Terminal, and most of its trains connect with the ferry. The line has a route bullet similar to other subway routes: the letters "SIR" in a blue circle. It is used on timetables, the MTA website, and some signage, but not on trains. Like the New York City Subway, the line runs 24 hours a day every day of the year, and is one of the few 24/7 mass-transit rail systems in the United States. Although the railway was originally considered a standard rail line, the existing line is severed from the national rail system, and only a small portion of the former North Shore Branch still sees freight use.
Staten Island Railway | Introduction
The Robin Road trestle is the only remaining intact trestle along the former line. Developers purchased the land on either side of its abutments during the early 2000s, and the developers, the New York City Department of Transportation, and the New York City Transit Authority all claimed ownership. Townhouses have been built on both sides of the trestle.
Staten Island Railway | South Beach Branch
The North Shore Branch is an abandoned branch of the Staten Island Railway in New York City, which operated along Staten Island's North Shore from Saint George to Port Ivory. The line continues into New Jersey via the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge to Cranford Junction. The line started construction in 1884, and rapid transit service on the line started on February 23, 1886. Passenger service ended on March 31, 1953, and freight service ended by 1989. In 2005, freight service on the western portion of the line was reactivated, and there are proposals to reactivate the former passenger line for rail or bus service.
North Shore Branch | Introduction
Service on the branches was subsequently reduced. In 1953 the SIRT discontinued service on the North Shore Branch and South Beach Branch. The South Beach Branch was abandoned shortly thereafter while the North Shore Branch continued to carry freight. While the SIRT threatened to discontinue service on the Tottenville Branch, the service was preserved as New York City stepped in to subsidize the operation. In 1971 New York City purchased the Tottenville line, and the line's operation was turned over to the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, a division of the state-operated Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Freight service continued until 1991.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Introduction
On June 1, 2005, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Police Department was disbanded and its 25 railroad police officers became part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department. The MTA Police Department was created in 1998 with the merger of the Long Island Rail Road Police Department and the Metro-North Railroad Police Department. The MTA Police Department then opened its newest patrol district, Police District #9, which began covering the Staten Island Railway.
Staten Island Railway | Police
The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is the only rapid transit line in the New York City borough of Staten Island and is operated by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, a unit of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The railway is considered a standard railroad line, but only the western portion of the North Shore Branch, which is disconnected from the rest of the SIR, is used by freight and is connected to the national railway system. While the first rail proposal for rail service on Staten Island was issued in 1836, construction did not begin until 1855 after the project was attempted a second time under the name Staten Island Railroad.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Introduction
The majority of former stations are located on the North Shore Branch and South Beach Branch, which were closed to passenger service at midnight on Tuesday, March 31, 1953. A small western portion of the North Shore Branch that is disconnected to the Main Line is used for freight service, and a smaller eastern portion of the same branch provided seasonal service to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark station from 2001 to 2009. Restoration is being discussed along this mostly abandoned line as part of the Staten Island light rail plan. The South Beach Branch was abandoned and demolished except for a remaining stanchion on St.
List of Staten Island Railway stations | Disused and former stations
In a 2006 report, the "Staten Island Advance" explored the restoration of passenger service on of the North Shore Branch between St. George and Arlington. Completion of a study is necessary to qualify the project for an estimated $360 million. A preliminary study found that ridership could reach 15,000 daily. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York requested $4 million of federal funding for a detailed feasibility study. In 2012, the MTA released an analysis of North Shore transportation solutions which included proposals for the reintroduction of heavy rail, light rail or bus rapid transit using the North Shore line's right-of-way.
Staten Island Railway | Possible light rail and branch restoration
Although the Staten Island Railway originally consisted of three lines, only the north-south Main Line is in passenger service. It resembles an outdoor line of the New York City Subway. Although the railway has been grade-separated from all roads since the 1960s, it runs more or less at street level for a brief stretch north of Clifton, between the Grasmere and Old Town stations, and from south of the Pleasant Plains station to Tottenville—the end of the line. The terminus at St. George provides a direct connection with the Staten Island Ferry. St. George has twelve tracks, ten of which are in service.
Staten Island Railway | Passenger service
The Long Island Rail Road system has eleven passenger branches. Three of them are considered main trunk lines; however the trunk lines are in general not used in public: They spin off eight minor branches. For scheduling and advertising purposes some of these branches are divided into sections such as the case with the Montauk Branch, which is known as the Babylon Branch service in the electrified portion of the line between Jamaica and Babylon, while the diesel service beyond Babylon to Montauk is referred to as the Montauk Branch service. All branches except the Port Washington Branch pass through Jamaica; the trackage west of Jamaica (except the Port Washington Branch) is known as the City Terminal Zone.
Long Island Rail Road | Passenger lines and services
The Travis Branch is a branch of the Staten Island Railway in New York City, that operates from Arlington Yard to Fresh Kills, which is used for freight transportation along the West Shore, Staten Island.
Travis Branch | Introduction
On January 29, 1949, the PSC ordered the SIRT to restore five trains and to reschedule seven other trains for public convenience, and gave the SIRT until February 13 to carry out the order.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Service cuts and the discontinuation of service: 1948–1953
The Staten Island Railway, currently the borough's only passenger railroad, traverses the island 24/7 from its northeastern tip to its southwestern tip. The Staten Island Railway opened in 1860 and was owned and operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) until July 1, 1971, when the line was bought by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Staten Island Railway continued to have its own railway police, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Police, until 2005 when the 25-officer police force was consolidated into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department. Staten Island is the only borough not served by the New York City Subway.
Staten Island | Trains
The North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway was constructed from Cranford Junction on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, in Union County, New Jersey, New Jersey, east to St. George, Staten Island, New York, to give the B&O access to its own deepwater port and ferry terminal. The line no longer runs between Union Avenue and St George on Staten Island. Many attempts have been made to restore the North Shore Branch for passenger service, but have hit political, financial, or legal barriers.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | Baltimore & New York Railroad
Only a single track — the St. George-bound track — remains, unelectrified and in ruins. It is one of the stations to be returned to operation under the proposals for reactivation of the North Shore branch for rapid transit, light rail, or bus rapid transit service.
Elm Park station (Staten Island Railway) | History
As evidenced by a map from 1884, the South Beach Branch was originally intended to run to Prominard Street in Oakwood Beach. The extension, however, was not built because the SIRTR could not gain the Vanderbilt family's approval to cross their New Dorp Beach farm. Instead, the line was only built as far as South Beach. During fiscal year 1893, the SIRTR purchased land to extend the line to South Beach and the South Beach Branch was completed in 1894.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Opening of the North Shore and South Beach Branches
The right-of-way was sold to the City of New York and is now in most sections administered by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services ("DCAS"), except for a section in Forest Park that has been mapped as parkland. The line remains officially out of service and is known by locals as "the forgotten spur", a name which dates back to the mid-1950s when the subway plans for the spur were dropped. Much of the original infrastructure has either been removed, damaged, rotted or undermined, though some rails, wooden ties, electrical towers and even de-electrified third rails can still be found in some sections, with much of it dating from 1908 or earlier, when the line was originally electrified.
Rockaway Beach Branch | Legacy and planned restoration
Traveling east, Hempstead Branch trains run on separate tracks from the Main Line east of and separate from the right of way east of . Oyster Bay Branch trains split off the line east of and Port Jefferson Branch trains split off east of . Montauk Branch trains that use the Main Line and Central Branch, splitting off the Main Line east of . Passengers traveling east of must transfer between electric and diesel trains at that station. This list details which Main Line services stop at each station, but not all trains stop at every station. "○" indicates that select trains of a branch may stop at a given station, but this may not indicated in the branch timetable.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Stations
The railroad line was still intact from Cranford Junction to Arlington.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Decline: 1971–2000
The railroad also supplied the new residents of Garden City with both commuter service to Long Island City, where they could then connect to ferries into Manhattan. Service along the Babylon extension also was popular for excursions to the Babylon shoreline and to ferries to Fire Island. In 1876 the CRRLI was acquired by the LIRR and Stewart's line became known as the LIRR's Central Branch. The portion from Flushing to the Creedmoor Rifle Range, which became Creedmoor State Hospital) was abandoned in 1879, although the tracks were not removed until World War I. The portion from Creedmoor to Floral Park survived as freight service and was known as the Creedmoor Branch until service ended in the late 1960s and the tracks removed from the LIRR map in the early 1970s.
Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road) | The Central Railroad of Long Island
The area was once home to the Rosebank station on the railway's now-defunct South Beach Branch, which was located east of the proposed station site. Several proposals have been made to connect the SIR to the subway system, including the abandoned, unfinished Staten Island Tunnel and a line along the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge using B Division cars and loading gauge, but economic, political and engineering difficulties have prevented these projects from realization.
Staten Island Railway | Future plans
Since the Central Railroad of New Jersey became a New Jersey Transit line, a new junction would be built to the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. In order for all New England and southern freight to pass through the New York metropolitan area, a rail tunnel from Brooklyn to Staten Island, and a rail tunnel from Brooklyn to Greenville, New Jersey were planned. On December 15, 2004, a $72 million project to reactivate freight service on Staten Island and to repair the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge was announced by the NYCEDC and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
North Shore Branch | Freight service
The Regional Plan Association's A Framework for Transit Planning in the New York Region released in 1986 recommended extending the proposed Second Avenue Subway from Manhattan under Water Street to Staten Island via Liberty State Park in New Jersey. The line would have descended into bedrock at Pine Street, stop at South Ferry, and would have emerged under Liberty State Park in Communipaw, New Jersey with a transfer to the proposed Hudson–Bergen Light Rail. From there it would have run along the Jersey Central's line to Constable Hook, and then pass through a tunnel under the Kill Van Kull and connect with the North Shore Branch in New Brighton.
North Shore Branch | Possible reactivation for passenger service
As part of the project, a portion of the North Shore Branch was rehabilitated, the Arlington Yard was expanded, and of new track was laid along the Travis Branch to Staten Island Transfer Station at Fresh Kills. Soon after service restarted on the line, Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially commemorated the reactivation on April 17, 2007. As of 2019, the New York City Department of Sanitation's contractor was moving containers of municipal solid waste by barge from Queens and Manhattan to the Howland Hook Marine Terminal for transfer to rail there.
Staten Island Railway | Freight service
A subway tunnel called the Staten Island Tunnel started construction in 1923, but was abandoned two years later; the completed portion lies dormant beneath Owl's Head Park in Brooklyn. Today, express bus service is provided by NYC Transit throughout Staten Island to Lower Manhattan, Union Square, and Midtown Manhattan. A right of way exists along the north shore of Staten Island. This North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway was built, owned, and operated by the B&O, which used it for passenger service until 1953. It then became a B&O freight line until the 1980s, when service was stopped.
Staten Island | Trains
The Montauk Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch runs the length of Long Island, 115 miles (185 km) from Long Island City on the west to Montauk on the east. However, in LIRR maps and schedules for public use the term "Montauk Branch" refers to the line east of Babylon; the line west of there is covered by Babylon Branch schedules, and many Montauk Brach trains operate via the Main Line due to increased track capacities.
Montauk Branch | Introduction
This list contains all stations currently open on the Staten Island Railway (SIR). All active SIR stations are located on the Main Line, which spans from the St. George Ferry Terminal to Tottenville. Stations tend to be built either above ground level on embankments or are open-cut stations built below ground level, but open to the sky.
List of Staten Island Railway stations | Main Line
The LIRR has three trunk lines; each branch begins eastbound trips out of New York City via one of these lines.
List of Long Island Rail Road stations | Trunk Lines
The Central Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the U.S. state of New York, extending from just east of Bethpage station to just west of Babylon station. It was built in 1873 as part of the Babylon Extension of the Central Railroad of Long Island (CRRLI), which was owned by Alexander Turney Stewart. The branch was mostly unused following the 1876 merger of the CRRLI and the LIRR, but in 1925 it was rebuilt and reconfigured to connect Bethpage and Babylon stations.
Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road) | Introduction
The South Beach Branch opened on January 1, 1888, to Arrochar, and was extended to South Beach in 1893. The branch closed at midnight on March 31, 1953. It was abandoned and demolished, except for a few segments: a concrete embankment at Clayton Street and Saint John's Avenue, the Tompkins Avenue overpass, trestle over Robin Road in Arrochar and a filled-in bridge under McClean Avenue. This line left the Main Line at (south of the Clifton station), and was east of the Main Line. Although the right-of-way has been redeveloped, most of it is still traceable on maps; the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll plaza is on the former right-of-way.
Staten Island Railway | South Beach Branch
The section of the SIRT's line between St. George and Clifton Junction was jointly operated with the SIRW.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Reorganization
The South Beach Branch, also called the East Shore Sub-Division, is an abandoned branch of the Staten Island Railway in New York City, which operated along Staten Island's East Shore from Clifton to Wentworth Avenue. This double-tracked branch left the Main Line at , south of the Clifton station, and lay to the east of the Main Line. Rapid transit service on the line ended on March 31, 1953, along with the North Shore Branch.
South Beach Branch | Introduction
Unit trains made up of bright orange container flatcars serve the facility–sometimes up to five times daily. The line is part of Conrail Shared Assets territory, and both CSX and NS locomotives operate on the line. A wye was added between the North Shore Line and the Travis Branch. The portion of the line connecting the line to the east end of Arlington Yard is called the Travis Lead. Soon after service restarted on the line, Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially commemorated the reactivation on April 17, 2007. On behalf of the City of New York, the New York City Economic Development Corporation formed an agreement with CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Conrail Shared Assets Operations to provide service over the reactivated line to haul waste from the Staten Island Transfer Station and ship container freight from the Howland Hook Marine Terminal and other industrial businesses.
Travis Branch | Current uses
Originally conceived as a branch of the Flushing and North Side Railroad that was intended to lead into Westchester County, New York (a connection that never materialized) in 1869, it was consolidated into the Long Island Rail Road in 1876 when its owners, the Poppenhusen family, took over the bankrupt LIRR. It later became part of a subsidiary called the Long Island City and Flushing Railroad. On October 12, 1912 the branch was electrified. In the 1920s the branch began to lose patronage and the LIRR sought to rid itself of the line. There was a proposal for the city-owned Independent Subway System to buy the line and incorporate it into the New York City Subway system.
Whitestone Branch | History
The Main Line has two tracks from just east of Long Island City to Harold Interlocking (HAROLD, northwest of the Woodside station), where the four track Northeast Corridor from Penn Station in Manhattan joins the Main Line after passing through the East River Tunnels. East of HAROLD, the four-track Main Line runs adjacent to the two-track Port Washington Branch until, southeast of the Woodside station, the Port Washington Branch turns northeastward. The Main Line continues southeast with four tracks to JAY Interlocking where it meets the Atlantic Branch and Montauk Branch at the west end of Jamaica station. Eight platform tracks and two bypass tracks pass Jamaica station, along with a few yard tracks and two former freight tracks on the south side that can be used by trains bypassing Jamaica.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Route description and current service
As part of the program, the Staten Island Railway would be fully rehabilitated and would also get new rolling stock through Phases I and II. A new "Metropolitan Transportation Center" at 48th Street and Third Avenue would be built to provide a terminal for the new LIRR line, feeding into the lower of the two decks in the 63rd Street Tunnel. It would also have a terminal for a proposed new high-speed spur to JFK that would run via Jamaica. The terminal would have extended from 47th Street to 50th Street, and the tunnel for the line would extend from 63rd Street to 42nd Street.
Program for Action | Non-subway extensions
An additional two-track spur would branch off between 63rd and 64th Streets before connecting with the Sea Beach Railway. South of 65th Street the main line was planned to continue as a four-track line to 100th Street. Another proposal for a branch line was for a subway via New Utrecht Avenue. The line, consisting of four tracks, would have branched off at 40th Street before turning under New Utrecht Avenue and 86th Street to a point between 23rd and 24th Avenues. From there the line would have become an elevated line running to Coney Island. A spur of the Fourth Avenue line via 86th Street would have merged in here.
BMT Fourth Avenue Line | Planning
The Travis Branch, from Arlington Yard to Fresh Kills, runs along the island's West Shore. The branch was built in 1928 to serve Gulf Oil along the Arthur Kill, south from Arlington Yard into the marshes to Gulfport. It was extended to Travis to serve the new Consolidated Edison power plant in 1957. In 2005, the branch was renovated and extended from the old Con Edison plant to the Staten Island Transfer Station at Fresh Kills; regular service to the transfer station began in April 2007.
Staten Island Railway | Travis Branch
It is now part of New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL)
New York and Long Branch Railroad | History
Soon after service restarted on the line, Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially commemorated the reactivation on April 17, 2007. Service was provided by CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Conrail over the Travis Branch to haul waste from the Staten Island Transfer Station at Fresh Kills and ship container freight from the Howland Hook Marine Terminal and other industrial businesses. Along the remainder of the North Shore Branch, there are still tracks and rail overpasses in some places.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Reactivation: 2000–present
The Manhattan Beach Branch, Manhattan Beach Line, or Manhattan Beach Division was a line of the Long Island Rail Road, running from Fresh Pond, Queens, south to Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It opened in 1877 and 1878 as the main line of the New York and Manhattan Beach Railway. The tracks from Flatbush south to Manhattan Beach were removed from 1938 to 1941, while most of the rest is now the freight-only Bay Ridge Branch. At Manhattan Beach, the line extended east to Oriental Beach, and a branch to the Sheepshead Bay Race Track was provided north of Sheepshead Bay.
Manhattan Beach Branch | Introduction
Subsequently, they became part of Penn Central and Conrail. The Evergreen Branch still served a few customers until the 1970s. Some of this property, such as a triangular lot at Flushing Avenue and Stewart Avenue, are still owned by the MTA. By 1972, the line was cut back to Grove Street. By the late 1970s, the Cooper Junction end of the line only had one remaining customer: Tulnoy Lumber, located at Putnam Avenue. After this location was closed, Conrail filed to abandon the line on September 15, 1983. However, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) postponed authorization for abandonment to review offers from the Long Island Rail Road and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).
Evergreen Branch | Decline
At HALL Interlocking just east of the station there are eight through tracks: two usually westward tracks for Main Line and Montauk trains, two Atlantic Branch tracks that are about to duck under and turn southeast, two usually eastward Main Line/Montauk tracks, and the two former freight tracks on the south side of Hall tower. Just east of there, Montauk Branch trains get their own two tracks in the center of the four Main Line tracks until the Montauk tracks fly over the other tracks and head southeast. At QUEENS Interlocking, just inside Nassau County between the Queens Village and Bellerose stations, the four-track Main Line splits into the two-track Main Line and the two-track Hempstead Branch; the four tracks continue parallel to Floral Park station where the Hempstead Branch curves away southward.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Route description and current service
The New York and Long Branch Railroad was a railroad in central New Jersey, running from Bay Head Junction in Bay Head to Perth Amboy, where it connected to the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad. The railroad was jointly owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey and became property of Conrail in 1976. It is now part of New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast Line.
New York and Long Branch Railroad | Introduction
The North Shore Branch opened for service on February 23, 1886, to Elm Park. The Saint George terminal opened on March 7, 1886, and all SIR lines were extended to the station. The remainder of the North Shore Branch, to its terminus at Erastina, was opened in the summer of 1886. On January 1, 1888, the South Beach Branch opened for passenger service to Arrochar. In 1893, the South Beach Branch was extended from Arrochar to a new terminal at South Beach. The new lines opened by the B&O were known as the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway, and the original line (from Clifton to Tottenville) was called the Staten Island Railway.
Staten Island Railway | 19th century
The remaining segment of the Central Branch is now owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road. It connects the Main Line's Ronkonkoma Branch at Beth Interlocking southeast of the Bethpage station with the Montauk and Babylon Branches at Belmont Junction west of the Babylon station. This allows several Montauk Branch trains that begin or end east of Babylon to use the Main Line from Bethpage to Jamaica. The branch is colored as part of the Ronkonkoma Branch on some LIRR maps, but these trains are shown on Babylon and Montauk Branch timetables. Much of the line runs parallel to New York State Route 109.
Central Railroad of Long Island | Central Branch
The New York Branch or the Bound Brook Route was a railway line in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was operated by the Reading Company and owned by two of its subsidiaries, the North Pennsylvania Railroad and the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad. It formed part of the Reading's route from Philadelphia to New York City, used by the famed "Crusader". The line was transferred to Conrail in 1976 and was split into the Neshaminy Line and Trenton Line. SEPTA continues to operate commuter trains to West Trenton as part of its West Trenton Line.
New York Branch | Introduction
The Montauk Branch, along with the parallel Atlantic Branch, spawns three subsidiary branches: the West Hempstead Branch, Far Rockaway Branch, and Long Beach Branch. The electrified portion of the Montauk Branch ends in the village of Babylon. Some of the Montauk's diesel trains begin or end their runs at Babylon station, connecting with electric trains there. Other Montauk diesel trains operate into New York City, to Jamaica station; Hunterspoint Avenue or Long Island City stations in Long Island City; or Penn Station.
Montauk Branch | Babylon Branch
In addition to the two main lines to Boston and Providence, splitting at Willimantic, numerous branches and auxiliary lines existed.
New York and New England Railroad | Branches
Other options included system management, which would improve existing bus service, and the possibility of future ferry and water-taxi service. Bus rapid transit was preferred for its cost ($352 million in capital investment) and relative ease of implementation. In January 2018, the project had yet to receive funding. As part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program, $4 million has been allocated for an analysis of light rail on Staten Island's West Shore.
Staten Island Railway | Possible light rail and branch restoration
The current Atlantic Branch is the successor to two separate lines: the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad (opened 1836) along Atlantic Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Jamaica, and the South Side Railroad of Long Island (opened 1867) from Jamaica to Valley Stream.
Atlantic Branch | History
The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is the only rapid transit line in the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and operated by the New York City Transit Authority Department of Subways. SIR operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing local service between St. George and Tottenville, along the east side of the island. There is no direct rail link between the SIR and the New York City Subway system, but SIR riders do receive a free transfer to New York City Transit bus and subway lines, and the line is included on official New York City Subway maps.
Staten Island Railway | Introduction
These two trains were re-routed north to Hunterspoint Avenue in 2012, effectively ceasing passenger train service on the Lower Montauk. Soon after, full control of the Lower Montauk was transferred to the New York and Atlantic Railway for freight operations. The New York City Department of Transportation has periodically floated proposals to repurpose the Lower Montauk Branch for rapid transit operations. In 1984, the Department studied an option to connect the branch to the New York City Subway through a proposed connection to the IND 63rd Street Line in Long Island City. This proposal was unpopular in the communities surrounding the branch.
Montauk Branch | Lower Montauk
The new electric coaches, the M1 cars, replaced the aging Multiple Unit fleet. The cars were put into service between 1968 and 1972. The cars were called "Metropolitans", and they were clad in stainless steel, with air-conditioning and lighting, as well as semi-bucket seating. Quarter point doors were installed in order to speed loading and unloading from high-level platforms. High-level platforms were required by the design of the M1 and LIRR carpenters engaged in a speeded up program to build temporary high-level platforms at all stations within electrified territory. All electrified branches became completely equipped with high-level platforms when the final branch, the West Hempstead Branch, was completed in 1973.
History of the Long Island Rail Road | 1960s–1980s: M1s, push-pulls, and electrification extensions
The Travis Branch has a length of 4.41 miles, with milepost 0.00 being Arlington Yard. A proposed route alignment for light rail on the west shore of Staten Island would have the light rail go on the North Shore rail right-of-way to the Travis branch of the line, and from there, onto the median of the West Shore Expressway.
Travis Branch | Current uses
Specific projects on the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge included repainting the steel superstructure and rehabilitating the lift mechanism. In June 2006, the freight line connection from New Jersey to the Staten Island Railway was completed, and became operated in part by the Morristown and Erie Railway under contract with the State of New Jersey and other companies.
North Shore Branch | Freight service
The Long Island Rail Road's Oyster Bay Branch serves the town's vicinity from Mineola to Greenvale. The Main Line runs through the southern parts of the town from with stations at Merillon Avenue in Garden City Park through Westbury. The Port Washington Branch runs along the northern part of the town and uses stations from Great Neck across the Manhasset Viaduct into Port Washington.
North Hempstead, New York | Railroad lines
The freight operation on the island was renamed the Staten Island Railroad Corporation in 1971. The B&O and C&O became isolated from their other properties in New Jersey and Staten Island, with the creation of Conrail on April 1, 1976, by merger of bankrupt lines in the northeast United States. As a result, their freight service was truncated to Philadelphia, however, for several years afterward, one B&O freight train a day ran to Cranford Junction, with B&O locomotives running through as well. By the year 1973, the Jersey Central's car float yard at Jersey Central was closed. Afterwards, the car float operation of the B&O was brought back to Staten Island at Saint George Yard.
North Shore Branch | Freight service
Some non-electrified lines are used only for freight:
Long Island Rail Road | Freight branches
In the first two decades of its existence, the Long Island Rail Road enjoyed a monopoly of rail service on Long Island. This came to an end in the early-1850s when competition came in the form of the Flushing Railroad, which ran along the north shore of Queens County, New York. In 1859, the FRR became the New York and Flushing Railroad, but as they attempted to expand into eastern Queens (now Nassau County, New York) and service declined, the LIRR decided to buy out the NY&F in 1867, and to build an additional Woodside Branch. The Woodside Branch, which was chartered under the subsidiary Flushing and Woodside Railroad was never finished, and northern Queens residence felt betrayed by the purchase of the NY&F.
White Line (Long Island Rail Road) | History
In mid-1886, the North Shore Branch opened its new terminal at Erastina. In 1889–1890, a station was built at the South Avenue grade crossing at Arlington as the tracks were extended to the Arthur Kill Bridge. At Arlington, trains were reversed for their trip back to St. George. Even a few years after its opening, most trains terminated at Erastina. A -long branch, then known as the Arrochar Branch, was opened to Arrochar on January 1, 1888, as a double-tracked line. The branch split off at Clifton Junction; it had two stops—Fort Wadsworth and Arrochar. In its first year, the branch carried heavy traffic, especially during the summer months.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Opening of the North Shore and South Beach Branches
The Rockaway Beach Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, New York City, United States. The line left the Main Line at Whitepot Junction in Rego Park heading south via Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to Hammels in the Rockaways, turning west there to a terminal at Rockaway Park. Along the way it connected with the Montauk Branch near Glendale, the Atlantic Branch near Woodhaven, and the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels. After a 1950 fire, the Jamaica Bay bridge was closed and the line south of Ozone Park sold to the city, which rehabilitated the portion south of Liberty Avenue and connected it to the New York City Subway system as the IND Rockaway Line.
Rockaway Beach Branch | Introduction
The Northern Branch is a railroad line that runs from Jersey City to Northvale in northeastern New Jersey. The line was constructed in 1859 by the Northern Railroad of New Jersey to connect the New York and Erie Rail Road's Piermont Branch terminus in Piermont, New York, to Erie's Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City. The line was then extended to Nyack, New York in 1870 and provided passenger service until 1966. Ownership of the line passed into the hands of Conrail upon the its formation in 1976. The line survives as two separate but connected sections. The Northern Running Track is an approximately two-mile-long freight railroad line in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Northern Branch | Introduction
Passenger service on the North Shore Branch ended in 1953. In 1985, B&O successor CSX sold it to Delaware Otsego and rail freight service was continued until 1991. Freight service on the western North Shore Railroad right-of-way (ROW) at Howland Hook was revived in 2005. For the first time in 16 years a train crossed the bridge on October 4, 2006, a single locomotive which would take on switching duties. Rail at the marine terminal was reactivated in 2007 with the completion of the single-track Chemical Coast connector.
ExpressRail | ExpressRail Staten Island
The Atlantic Branch is an electrified rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It is the only LIRR line that runs in the borough of Brooklyn.
Atlantic Branch | Introduction
East of Jamaica station, the Main Line is used by all trains on the Hempstead Branch (diverging east of Queens Village), the Oyster Bay Branch (diverging east of Mineola), the Port Jefferson Branch (diverging east of Hicksville), and the Ronkonkoma Branch (terminating at Ronkonkoma, the eastern limits of the line's electrification). Some Montauk Branch trains use the Main Line on their way to Babylon via the Central Branch, diverging east of Bethpage.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Route description and current service
In 1920, 65 trains ran daily on the North Shore Branch; 60 trains ran daily on the South Beach Branch; and 34 trains ran daily on the Tottenville Branch. Most of the railway's passengers used the North Shore and South Beach branches. In 1920, 8,000,000 passengers used the North Shore and South Beach branches while 5,000,000 passengers used the main line. Up to 1921, 3,369,400 trains had been operated on the SIRT with no fatalities.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Increase in traffic
The Long Beach Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station, where it merges with the Far Rockaway Branch to continue west as the Atlantic Branch. East from there the Long Beach Branch parallels the Montauk Branch to Lynbrook station, where it turns south toward Long Beach station. Trains operating on the Long Beach Branch continue west of Valley Stream via the Atlantic Branch to Jamaica station, with most continuing on to or .
Long Beach Branch | Introduction
The Babylon Extension was fully rebuilt, also in 1925, with the main purpose of providing a connection between the two main trunk lines of the LIRR, the Main Line and Montauk Branch, and thus became known as the aforementioned Central Branch. In 1939 the Central Extension between Garden City and the end of line in Bethpage was abandoned for regular passenger service. During World War II the eastern portion of the rail was removed and sold for scrap. After World War II a portion of the track was rebuilt to move materials for the construction of Levittown, however, it never again reached Bethpage Junction (thus, nor Babylon), and those tracks too were soon removed.
Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road) | The Central Railroad of Long Island
After the takeover by the LIRR, the CRRLI mainline from Flushing through Floral Park (then called Hinsdale) was deemed redundant and no longer needed, mainly because the rest of the Central mainline east of Floral Park was to be connected to the LIRR's mainline at the location of the newly built Park Interlocking (today the connection is at Queens Interlocking). This connection afforded the Central access to Long Island City through the LIRR's major hub, Jamaica station. ThIs right of way between Flushing and the National Rifle Range, later to become Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital, was abandoned in 1879, although it was not torn up until World War I.
Central Railroad of Long Island | Creedmoor Branch
The Richmond Light and Railroad Company (previously named Staten Island Electric Railroad, later Richmond Railways) operated a system in northeastern Staten Island.
List of streetcar lines in Staten Island | Richmond Light and Railroad Company
Under Conrail the branch was split: the section between Neshaminy Falls and Bound Brook was combined with the New York Short Line, the Low Grade Branch, and the Richmond Branch to form the Trenton Line, while the section between Neshaminy and Jenkintown was designated the Neshaminy Line and is now owned by SEPTA. Conrail continued to operate commuter service under contract until 1983 when SEPTA assumed full control; passenger service north of West Trenton ended on August 1, 1981. SEPTA service between West Trenton and Philadelphia continues as the West Trenton Line.
New York Branch | History
Running on a separate right-of-way south of the Port Washington Branch and north of the Main Line, it had its own Newtown Station, then the line curved northeast where it had a station for Corona called Corona Park station, then passed through the southern end of Great Neck Junction, where the Central Railroad of Long Island branched off to head towards Garden City, Bethpage and Babylon. Finally, the line ended along the south side of the Flushing and North Side main line at Flushing station. After the Flushing and North Side and the Central Railroad of Long Island were consolidated into the Flushing, North Shore and Central Railroad in 1874, which itself was later merged into the LIRR in 1876, the LIRR no longer saw any need for the White Line and it was abandoned.
White Line (Long Island Rail Road) | History
There have been proposals to revive the abandoned right-of-way for passenger service as a rail line or for use as bus rapid transit. There is also a proposal to build a West Shore Light Rail along New York State Route 440, running from the Staten Island Railway main line on the South Shore, to the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail in Bayonne, New Jersey. The South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway, which transported summer vacationers to South Beach, Staten Island, also ceased service in 1953.
Staten Island | Trains
John's Avenue and the Robin Road Trestle. This line diverged from the Main Line south of the Clifton station and lay to the east of the Main Line.
List of Staten Island Railway stations | Disused and former stations
The South Side Railroad of Long Island built the line from Bushwick, Brooklyn to Patchogue in the 1860s, and completed the new line to Long Island City in 1870. With the reorganization of the South Side as the Southern Railroad of Long Island in 1874 and its lease by the LIRR in 1876, this line became the Southern Railroad Division, Southern Railroad of Long Island Division, or simply Southern Division. Effective Sunday, June 25, 1876, all Southern Division passenger trains were rerouted to use the LIRR main line from Berlin Junction (west of Jamaica) to Rockaway Junction, and the LIRR's Rockaway Branch to Springfield Junction, where it crossed the Southern.
Montauk Branch | Formation and early days: 1860s to 1925
The Port Washington Branch has six tracks at this station. This station has three high-level island platforms. The north platform, adjacent to Tracks 1 and 2, the two main tracks, is eight cars long. The center platform, adjacent to Tracks 3 and 4, is also eight cars long. The south platform, adjacent to Tracks 5 and 6, is six cars long. Only the north platform is currently in use; the other tracks have not been used in regular passenger service since the 1964-65 World's Fair. The stairwells leading to the other platforms are blocked off, the platforms are in disrepair, and the tracks are rusted over.
Mets–Willets Point station (LIRR) | Station layout
The original LIRR Hempstead Branch was abandoned south of Hempstead Crossing. The old Central main line through Hempstead was named the Central Branch by the LIRR, while the line from Mineola on the LIRR's Main Line south past Hempstead Crossing to Hempstead was the Hempstead Branch. The New York Bay Extension Railroad opened the current West Hempstead Branch in 1893, resulting in a realignment of the Hempstead Branch back to the LIRR's original Hempstead Branch from Hempstead Crossing south to Meadow Street to better connect to the new line. The former CRRLI's Hempstead Branch that ran parallel track was abandoned in 1907.
Central Railroad of Long Island | Hempstead branches
The two-track Main Line continues east to Mineola where the two track Oyster Bay Branch begins and curves to the north. The line continues east from Mineola to Hicksville where the two track Port Jefferson Branch begins and curves to the north. To FARM Interlocking (just east of Farmingdale station), the Main Line has two tracks to Ronkonkoma, except for some freight sidings along the route. The Main Line west of Jamaica to Harold Interlocking is the only line that can reach the East River Tunnels, so all trains bound for Penn Station use it. The portion between HAROLD and the Long Island City station is used by trains originating or terminating at Hunterspoint Avenue or Long Island City.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Route description and current service
The line was electrified from to Queens Village and Belmont Park on October 2, 1905. On May 26, 1908, the line was electrified to Floral Park; Hempstead Branch stations southeast of Floral Park were electrified on the same date. The line was triple-tracked between Bellerose and Floral Park in 1908. Around the same time, the construction of Pennsylvania Station and Sunnyside Yard necessitated the construction of a new grade-separated route within Woodside to increase train capacity, which was limited by the previous at-grade routing. Land acquisition for this reroute, dubbed the "Woodside/Winfield Cut-Off", starting in 1908. On September 8, 1910, the line between Long Island City and Jamaica was electrified, and service to Pennsylvania Station was inaugurated.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) | Early 20th century
In 1885, Jacob Vanderbilt retired as President of the SIRW. The new lines opened by the B&O were operated by the SIRTR, while the original line from Clifton to Tottenville was called the SIRW, which was maintained as a separate corporation. The passenger cars used by the SIRW were leased by the SIRTR. Construction of the North Shore Branch began on March 17, 1884, after a number of legal proceedings; a party of surveyors started marking out the grades and broke ground for the roadbed. The rights of a horse car line to operate in Richmond Terrace were bought to build the line; the right of way followed the island's North Shore and reached a ferry to Elizabeth, New Jersey that had been operating since the mid-1700s.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Expansion: 1884–1900
Therefore they convinced wealthy residents to buy the former railroads from the LIRR and chartered the Flushing and North Side Railroad as its replacement. Still seeking to compete with the F&NS for customers on the north shore of Queens, the LIRR chartered a subsidiary called the Newtown and Flushing Railroad on March 8, 1871. Due to the bright white passenger cars used on the line, it was nicknamed the White Line. The service began at the original Hunter's Point station, today's Long Island City station and ran along the main line through Woodside Station. Southeast of Winfield Junction it split off between the Main Line (Long Island Rail Road) and what is today the Port Washington Branch.
White Line (Long Island Rail Road) | History
Today, there are several freight customers located along the branch, which is served several times weekly by the New York & Atlantic Railway. It was along this stretch of the Central Branch that Mile-a-Minute Murphy set a record in 1899, pedalling a bicycle for one mile behind a train in less than one minute.
Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road) | Description
The passenger operations are now regulated as a rapid transit system, and exempt from certain regulations. The line uses modified R44 subway cars, with planned replacement by R211 cars.
Staten Island Railway | Introduction
During the early 2000s, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced plans to reopen the Staten Island Railroad line in New Jersey. Since the Jersey Central became a New Jersey Transit line, a new junction would be built to the ex-Lehigh Valley Railroad line. Two rail tunnels from Brooklyn were planned—one to Staten Island and one to Greenville, New Jersey—and would allow freight to pass through New York on its way from New England to the South. In December 2004, a $72 million project to reactivate freight service on Staten Island and to repair the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge was announced by the NYCEDC and the Port Authority.
History of the Staten Island Railway | Reactivation: 2000–present
From north to south, Jefferson Avenue station begins the descent from the embankment to the open cut. This is the only station on the Staten Island Railway that is named for the street it serves rather than the neighborhood.
Jefferson Avenue station | Station layout
Prior to the construction of the station, Rockaway Beach Branch service north of Ozone Park traveled via the Atlantic Branch to Flatbush Terminal, or via the Montauk Branch to Long Island City. Between 1908 and 1911, the branch was extended north past the Montauk Branch to the Main Line; this new grade-separated section was known as the Glendale Cut-off, and allowed service from the branch to operate to Penn Station in Manhattan. On March 24, 1927, the New York State Transit Commission ordered the LIRR to construct a new station at Metropolitan Avenue along the cut-off to alleviate congestion at the Forest Hills station on the Main Line, and to replace the nearby Glendale and Atlas Yard stations (the current site of The Shops at Atlas Park at Cooper Avenue) on the Montauk Branch.
Parkside station | Opening
The first part of the line was opened by the New York, Bay Ridge and Jamaica Railroad in 1876, from Bay Ridge to the crossing of the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad near New Utrecht. An extension from New Utrecht east and northeast to New Lots opened in 1877, and at the same time the New York and Manhattan Beach Railway opened the line from New Lots north to East New York. An extension north from East New York to Cooper Avenue (and then northwest to Greenpoint, later the Evergreen Branch) opened in 1878, and the Long Island City and Manhattan Beach Railroad (incorporated February 24, 1883, merged with the New York and Manhattan Beach and New York, Bay Ridge and Jamaica into the New York, Brooklyn and Manhattan Beach Railway August 27, 1885) built from Cooper Avenue north to the Montauk Branch at Glendale in 1883.
Bay Ridge Branch | History
Conrail Shared Assets Operations operates freight rail service for customers of CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway via the Travis Branch, with a intermodal on-dock rail facility on the West Shore of Staten Island, which connects to the National Rail System via the Arthur Kill Rail Bridge to New Jersey. In addition to the intermodal on-dock rail yard, the Conrail Staten Island Rail line also connects to the Sanitation Department's waste transfer station. Conrail railroad police officers patrol and respond to emergencies along the freight line.
Staten Island | Freight rail
This section of structure, built in 1895 as part of the Metropolitan Elevated's Logan Square branch, is the oldest portion of the Blue Line, and the sole section of the line on an elevated viaduct. The three stations on this section (, , and ) are also the only three stations on the line to use side platforms instead of island platforms.
Blue Line (CTA) | O'Hare branch
Between the late 1960s and 1990s, various stations along the Far Rockaway Branch were given high-level platforms in order to accommodate modern M1, M3, and M7 railcars. The Far Rockaway Branch has the distinction of containing the oldest surviving railroad station on Long Island, and the only existing building constructed by an LIRR predecessor, specifically Hewlett. In 2003, the LIRR closed that station replacing it with a new one diagonally across the railroad crossing on Franklin Avenue; however, the original SSRLI Depot has remained intact.
Far Rockaway Branch | Recent changes
The Bay Ridge Branch is a rail line owned by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway in New York City. It is the longest freight-only line of the LIRR, connecting the Montauk Branch and CSX Transportation's Fremont Secondary (to the Hell Gate Bridge) at Glendale, Queens with the Upper New York Bay at Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Car float service provided by New York New Jersey Rail operates between Greenville Yard at Greenville, New Jersey and the 65th Street Yard at the Bay Ridge end of the line.
Bay Ridge Branch | Introduction
The Creedmoor Branch was the name of a short branch that the Long Island Rail Road gave to the right of way of tracks between its Floral Park station and Creedmoor State Hospital in Queens, New York. The branch existed from 1879 to 1966 finally being torn up and demapped in the early 1970s.
Creedmoor Branch | Introduction