In addition to the two elevated railway tracks, the bridge also had four streetcar tracks. The following Queens lines operated over the bridge: One Manhattan line operated over the bridge, the Third Avenue Railway's 42nd Street Crosstown Line from 1910 to 1950.
Rail tracks
Queensboro Bridge
Queensboro Bridge | Rail tracks
Yes - it has two elevated railway tracks Yes, in addition to the two elevated railway tracks, the bridge also had four streetcar tracks. Yes. Yes it has two elevated railway tracks
how much is robert f kennedy bridge toll
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drivers pay $9.50 per car or $4.00 per motorcycle for tolls by mail. Customer Service Center pay $6.12 per car or $2.66 per motorcycle.
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which locations are connected by this bridge?
user
The bridges link the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.
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does it traverse a river?
user
Yes -  East River, Harlem River, Bronx Kill
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where does the first river originate?
user
Long Island Sound
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are there any other bridges on that river?
user
Yes -  Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge
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what type of bridge is the first one?
user
cable-stayed/suspension bridge
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what types of vehicles use it?
user
Only passenger vehicles and pedestrian and bicycle traffic are permitted.
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is the second bridge also same type as the first one?
user
No - The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge
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how many levels does the third bridge have?
user
2 - upper level ,  lower level
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is it used for rail traffic as well?
user
In addition to the two elevated railway tracks, the bridge also had four streetcar tracks. The following Queens lines operated over the bridge: One Manhattan line operated over the bridge, the Third Avenue Railway's 42nd Street Crosstown Line from 1910 to 1950.
Queensboro Bridge | Rail tracks
The roadway to 57th and 58th Streets is used as a westbound high-occupancy vehicle lane during rush hours. The lower level has five vehicular lanes, the inner four for automobile traffic and the southern outer lane for automobile traffic as well, used exclusively for Queens-bound traffic. The North Outer Roadway was converted into a permanent pedestrian walk and bicycle path in September 2000.
Queensboro Bridge | Levels
The upper level of the bridge has four lanes of automobile traffic, consisting of two roadways with two lanes in each directions. It provides a view of the bridge's cantilever truss structure and the New York skyline. Although the two upper level roadways both end at Thomson Avenue on the Queens side, they diverge in opposite directions on the Manhattan side. The lanes used by westbound traffic, located on the northern side of the bridge, lead north to 62nd and 63rd Streets. On the other hand, the lanes normally used by eastbound traffic are located on the southern side of the bridge lead south to 57th and 58th Streets.
Queensboro Bridge | Levels
The streetcars used the outermost roadways of the Queensboro Bridge's lower level, and ran to an underground terminal between 59th and 60th Streets. These tracks were shared with the Third Avenue Railway's 42nd Street Crosstown Line. Other streetcar lines ran in the inner roadways of the lower level. The bridge was also shared with elevated rapid transit service between the Queensboro Plaza station (now a subway station) and the Second and Third Avenue elevated lines. The southern (eastbound) roadway has since been converted to vehicular use, while the northern (westbound) roadway is now a pedestrian and bike path.
Q60 (New York City bus) | Streetcar route
The bridge's upper level originally contained two pedestrian walkways and two elevated railway tracks (which connected a spur of the IRT Second Avenue Elevated Line in Manhattan to the Queensboro Plaza station in Queens). Three lanes of roadway were installed on the south side of the upper level in 1931, replacing the former upper-level walkway. All service on the Second Avenue Elevated was discontinued in 1942. From 1955 to 1958, two additional lanes were built on the upper level. The upper-level ramps on the Queens end of the bridge were built during the same time. The lower deck originally hosted four motor traffic lanes, and what is now the "outer roadway" and pedestrian walk were two trolley lanes.
Queensboro Bridge | Early days
In the original configuration, the station had eight tracks and four tracks per each level. Originally, the IRT used both sides of the current platforms, and the BMT used now-demolished platforms north of the current platforms, also double-decked. The south side of the IRT platforms was used by the Flushing Line, as today; the north side was used by Astoria trains, but instead of going through the 60th Street Tunnel, they went over the Queensboro Bridge to the elevated IRT Second Avenue Line. Double crossovers south (lower tracks) and north (upper tracks) of the platforms allowed trains from either side to switch to the other line after leaving the station.
Queensboro Plaza station | History
The lower level is currently used for train storage. Unused construction is also present near the west end of the Queensboro Bridge. The original plan there was to build two one-track tunnels under 59th and 60th Streets, rising onto the bridge to Queens. However, on July 28, 1915, the Public Service Commission approved a change of plans requested by the New York City Board of Estimate to place both tracks under 60th Street and cross the East River in the 60th Street Tunnel, because of concern whether or not the bridge could handle the weight of all-steel subway trains. A piece of the 59th Street tunnel had already been built, concurrent with the construction of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and became a walkway connecting the two side platforms of the IRT's 59th Street station.
BMT Broadway Line | Construction
The Queensboro Bridge is a two-level double cantilever bridge, with separate cantilevered spans over channels on each side of Roosevelt Island joined by a fixed central truss. In all it has five spans, including approaches between the cantilevered sections and each terminus. Their lengths are as follows: Until it was surpassed by the Quebec Bridge in 1917, the span between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island was the longest cantilever in North America.
Queensboro Bridge | Description
The road deck was re-opened only in a southbound (towards Gateshead) direction and carries only buses and taxis; the one-way operation is required because of width considerations after protection to the structural members was inserted. Pedestrians and cyclists use the bridge freely. Railway traffic continues in full use of the bridge, although the majority of mainline trains use the King Edward VII bridge for reasons of convenience.
High Level Bridge | The present day
This two-level station has two island platforms (one on each level) and four tracks. It stands over the south (railroad east) side of the roadway, but formerly spanned the whole plaza. Trains running into Queens stop on the upper level and Manhattan-bound trains below. On both levels, the BMT Astoria Line (which to the south joins with the 60th Street Tunnel Connection and heads through the 60th Street Tunnel to the BMT Broadway Line) uses the north track and the IRT Flushing Line uses the south track. , the station is being renovated by NYCTA employees (as opposed to an outside contractor).
Queensboro Plaza station | Station layout
Literature Music Music videos
Queensboro Bridge | In popular culture
A third bridge was constructed in 1929; it has a single bow structure composed primarily of steel.
Nuneham Railway Bridge | History
The railways used the upper deck, and wagons, livestock and pedestrians used the lower deck. This bridge was long, and was located near the Rock Island shore. During the 1880s, it accommodated horse-drawn trolley cars and electric trolleys; this tradition was continued on the fourth bridge until 1940.
Government Bridge | Third bridge
Due to its height, it could "scarcely be crossed for the first time without something like a feeling of terror". The bridge allowed the rail line to continue north to Kingston.
Rosendale Trestle | Construction
After years of decay and corrosion, an extensive renovation of the bridge began in 1987 and completed in 2012, having cost over $300 million. For a brief period in 1997, the traffic directions of the upper-level roadways were reversed during rush hours so that the upper level used a left-hand traffic pattern. Manhattan-bound traffic used the southern roadway while Queens-bound traffic used the northern roadway. After residents of the Upper East Side voiced concerns about severe rush-hour congestion, this traffic pattern was discontinued, and the south-side walkway on the lower level was converted to a Queens-bound vehicular lane during the evening rush hour.
Queensboro Bridge | Since the 1980s
The bridge opened in 1905 and immediately revolutionized travel in southeastern Prince Edward Island, allowing narrow gauge passenger and freight trains to operate between Charlottetown and Murray Harbour, as well as pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages and sleighs (and later automobiles) to use the bridge when trains were not crossing; for this purpose, wood planks were placed between and on each side of the rails. The railway bridge saw steady use through to the early 1930s when the PEIR's successor, Canadian National Railways (CNR), completed the conversion of the rail lines in the province from narrow () to standard () gauge.
Hillsborough River Bridge | Impact on travel
Trains using the deep level Northern City Line platforms (9 and 10) are supplied with 750 V DC current via the third rail, overseen by York Electrical Control Room. The signalling is track circuit block, colour light signals with tripcock mechanisms, controlled by Kings Cross Power signal box. The former subsurface Thameslink bay platforms (5 and 6) were equipped with 25 kilovolt alternating current overhead line equipment, overseen by York Electrical Control Room. Signalling was track circuit block, multiple aspect colour light signals, controlled by West Hampstead PSB.
Moorgate station | Infrastructure
At the BMT half, the south track served subway trains to Manhattan and the BMT Broadway Line. Trains came from Manhattan on the upper level, continued north to a merge with the lower level, and then returned via the lower level. This configuration was in place by 1924; before that trains reversed direction using a double crossover south of the platforms. Until October 17, 1949, the Astoria and Flushing Lines hosted both IRT and BMT service. Since the platforms were IRT-size, the BMT used its own elevated cars to provide service on the lines, with a required transfer at Queensboro Plaza.
Queensboro Plaza station | History
However, as late as August 1973, a separate passenger elevator ran during the work week from near the Queens end of the bridge to Welfare Island via the Welfare Island Elevator Storehouse, which was described at the time as "clean but gloomy".
Queensboro Bridge | Early days
The main structural elements are tied cast-iron arches. Notwithstanding the considerable increase in the weight of railway vehicles since it was designed, it continues to carry rail traffic, although the King Edward bridge nearby was opened in 1906 to ease congestion. The roadway is also still in use, although with a weight restriction. It is a Grade I listed structure.
High Level Bridge | Introduction
The bridge appeared unaffected by the strain, and an increasing number of people rode over the bridge during the second and third runs. A. L. Dolby & Company was contracted to complete the rail line between the bridge and Kingston. The track reached the Kingston Union Station in November 1872. By this time, trains were running regularly to and from Kingston. By 1885, the bridge supports were reinforced and the track was converted from broad gauge to standard gauge. In 1888, the Wallkill Valley Railroad received a permit from the town of Rosendale to "construct and maintain abutments to support [the] trestle" as long as such work did not interfere with traffic along the underlying highway (present-day NY 213).
Rosendale Trestle | Active rail service
The bridge carries the Q32 local bus route operated by MTA New York City Transit and the Q60 and Q101 local bus routes operated by the MTA Bus Company. The bridge also carries 20 express bus routes in the eastbound direction only: the MTA Bus Company's , and New York City Transit's X63, X64, and X68. (These bus routes use the Queens-Midtown Tunnel for westbound travel.)
Queensboro Bridge | Buses
East of the station, before the line connects to the IND Queens Boulevard Line, the tracks veer left while the tunnel wall goes straight, stopping around Northern Boulevard. This bellmouth is part of an intended "super-express" bypass of the IND Queens Boulevard Line running along the mainline of the Long Island Rail Road between Queens Boulevard and Forest Hills–71st Avenue planned in 1968. At a proposed station at Northern Boulevard, for which the 29th Street tail tracks might have also been built, a transfer concourse to the Queens Plaza station would have allowed transfers between local, express, and bypass trains.
21st Street–Queensbridge station | Stub tracks east of the station
The bridge is at least the third bridge over the Don River at this location, the first operated by the Scadding family in the early 1800s (One of the early bridges was a wooden bridge built in 1803.) The previous bridges were closer to the level of the river bank below. The bridge prior to the 1910 bridge was a warren truss bridge and was shifted over during the transition work. The Board of Railway Commissioners authorized the construction of the third, current bridge in 1909 because of safety concerns. The new bridge would eliminate a busy grade-level railway crossing on the west bank of the river, used by the Canadian Pacific Railway, Grand Trunk Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway.
Queen Street Viaduct | History
Four subway tracks are located on the lower deck of the bridge, two on each side of the roadway. The two tracks on the south side are used by the Q train at all times and the N train at all times except late nights, when they use the Montague Street Tunnel. The tracks on the north side are used by the D train at all times and the B train on weekdays. On the Manhattan side, the south side tracks connect to Canal Street and become the express tracks of the BMT Broadway Line, while the north side tracks connect to the Chrystie Street Connection through Grand Street and become the express tracks on the IND Sixth Avenue Line.
Manhattan Bridge | Subway tracks
The High Level passenger service was temporarily closed at the end of 1916 because of the demand for manpower in the war effort. In fact the passenger service never resumed, though there were occasional excursions during the 1920s and 1930s. The track was singled and most of the signalling removed. The main value of the High Level line was for freight. St Paul's was at an altitude about higher than the Old Station, and the slow and roundabout route was not significant to goods traffic; there were numerous mills and factories in the upper part of Halifax, and goods traffic continued until 27 June 1960.
Queensbury lines | Halifax High Level Railway
The last remaining link in this line involved crossing the Hillsborough River to Charlottetown. The Intercolonial Railway was a sister company to the PEIR in the neighbouring Maritime provinces and Quebec. Like the PEIR, it was owned by the Government of Canada and it was upgrading its mainline through northeastern New Brunswick to handle heavier locomotives and rail cars. The Intercolonial Railway crossed the Southwest Miramichi River and Northwest Miramichi River between Nelson and Newcastle using two iron bridges set upon stone piers, as designed by engineer-in-chief Sir Sandford Fleming.
Hillsborough River Bridge | First bridge, 1905–1962
The Hillsborough River Bridge is a bridge crossing the Hillsborough River estuary between Charlottetown and Stratford in Queens County, Prince Edward Island. The current road bridge, built in 1962, replaced a 1905 rail bridge crossing the same span which was known by the same name. The first bridge was built by the Prince Edward Island Railway to complete a rail line from Charlottetown to Murray River. The single-lane bridge opened in 1905, and incorporated iron spans from two bridges in Miramichi, New Brunswick built about 30 years earlier. As rail service in the province was converted to standard gauge and heavier service, use of the bridge declined until it was deemed unsafe for all traffic in the 1950s.
Hillsborough River Bridge | Introduction
1967–1986 1986–1988: North tracks closed 1988–2001: South tracks closed 2001–2004: North tracks closed 2013–2014: Montague Street Tunnel closed 2004–2013: 2014-Present
Manhattan Bridge | Tracks used
The loop has Strawberry Hill maintenance depot which can accommodate a few regular trains.
Kingston Railway Bridge | Complementary uses
There were two tunnels, North Bridge () and Lee Bank (). Earthworks were heavy, with high retaining walls. Goods depots were opened at North Bridge and Holmfield. The line opened for goods between Halifax and on 17 August 1874, to Holmfield on 1 September 1874, and was opened to passengers throughout on 1 December 1879.
Queensbury lines | Halifax and Ovenden Junction Railway
Although the bridge was built to take two tracks, the track on the upstream side was removed when the line was rationalised in the 1960s. The trackbed on this side now carries a sewage or water main pipe.
Windsor Railway Bridge | Track layout
The station's only exits are through a mezzanine located below the lower level (and formerly connected to the now torn-down BMT platforms to the west). From the mezzanine, there is a concrete ramp across Queens Plaza North to the second floor of a building. There is also an overpass leading to Queens Plaza South.
Queensboro Plaza station | Exits
Queensboro Plaza is an elevated New York City Subway station over Queens Plaza in Long Island City, at the east (Queens) end of the Queensboro Bridge, with Queens Boulevard running east from the plaza. It is served by the 7 and N trains at all times; the W train on weekdays; and the <7> train rush hours in the peak direction. Queensboro Plaza was originally built in 1916–1917 as part of the Dual Contracts between the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The station initially had eight tracks to allow BMT and IRT passengers to transfer between the Astoria, Flushing, and Second Avenue elevated lines.
Queensboro Plaza station | Introduction
These large bridges had to be metal and supplied from England, a very expensive import cost to the successive colonial governments. Both Chief Engineers were British so they chose the widely used wrought iron lattice truss bridge in the half-through form. Twelve of these were built for the railways and 24 for roads. These two sets of iron lattice bridges are the most significant group of bridges of the colonial period. A high percentage are extant and still in use, 11 on railways and 18 on roads. The current railway lattice bridges are:
Macquarie River railway bridge, Dubbo | History
When part of the Kingston Loop is unable to operate, the bridge enables continued passenger services, typically using the capacity of bay platform 1 at Kingston railway station, the only example on the loop. The Shepperton Branch Line branches off the loop about halfway between the two Thames bridges, and the capacity of a bay platform means various service patterns have been used since the bridge was built. Both lines are used entirely for stopping services, except when either main line is diverted, more typically the Windsor and Reading lines which must be diverted via Kingston or via Hounslow when the busiest stretches of that line are being repaired.
Kingston Railway Bridge | Complementary uses
The express track ends between 33rd Street–Rawson Street and Queensboro Plaza. At Queensboro Plaza, the eastbound track (railroad north) is above the westbound track, with both tracks on the south side of the island platforms. On the north side of these platforms is the BMT Astoria Line. East of this point, both the Flushing Line and the Astoria Line were formerly operated by the IRT and the BMT. Connections still exist between the eastbound tracks just east of the platforms, but cannot be used for revenue service as BMT trains are wider than IRT trains. This is the only track connection between the Flushing Line and the rest of the subway system.
IRT Flushing Line | Route
These large bridges had to be metal and supplied from England, a very expensive import cost to the successive colonial governments. Both Chief Engineers were British so they chose the widely used wrought iron lattice truss bridge in the half-through form. Twelve of these were built for the railways and 24 for roads. These two sets of iron lattice bridges are the most significant group of bridges of the colonial period. A high percentage are extant and still in use, eleven on railway bridges and eighteen on road bridges.
Macdonald River railway bridge, Woolbrook | History
When the bridge first opened, its tracks did not connect to any others. In 1910, the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line, a streetcar company, began operations on those tracks. This was followed by the Brooklyn and North River Line in 1912. The trolley arrangement continued until the BRT (later BMT), which also had two tracks each over the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges, trackage was connected to the bridge in 1915. The trolleys were moved to the upper-level roadways until 1929, when service was discontinued. The feeder lines for the Brooklyn side of the tracks have not changed since subway service began on the bridge.
Manhattan Bridge | Trackage history
The former rail line continued north, where 110 Street is now, to the Old CN Rail yard (north of 104 Avenue). In the near future, the Edmonton Radial Railway Society hopes to extend the line south towards Whyte Avenue for a new terminus. To do this, the rail crossing on Gateway Boulevard will have to be reconstructed; it was removed to separate the streetcar line from the active CP lines. During summer festivals, such as the Fringe, service is extended to accommodate the increase in crowds.
High Level Bridge Streetcar | Introduction
By the mid-1950s, the federal government had begun to develop the Trans-Canada Highway network across the country. The Prince Edward Island component was planned between the ferry terminals in Borden and Wood Islands via Charlottetown. As part of this national project, an improved crossing of the Hillsborough River was deemed necessary, however it required several years of negotiation over joint federal and provincial funding before construction could begin. A new 2-lane highway bridge opened in 1962 to carry Route 1 over the Hillsborough River parallel to, and immediately upstream of, the single lane railway bridge. The new bridge used the original soil-infilled approach causeways on both sides of the river that had been used for the railway bridge.
Hillsborough River Bridge | Second bridge, 1962-present
It has created a car-free route between the railway station and the city centre and users of National Cycle Network route 65 no longer have to carry their bikes across the bridge. The bridge reopened to the public on 18 April 2019 with work continuing on steps and sections of ramps.
Bridges of York | Scarborough Railway Bridge
Access was via a poorly lit footpath. There were also three signal boxes at the station, one for each junction on the three station approaches (from Bradford, Keighley and Halifax respectively). The station was opened to traffic on 12 July 1879, closed to passengers in 1955 and closed completely in 1963. Almost all of the station infrastructure has now been demolished.
Queensbury railway station | Introduction
The northern section of the station was torn down in the late 1940s, and Queensboro Plaza now contains only four tracks: two each for the IRT Flushing Line () and the BMT Astoria Line ().Today, Queensboro Plaza is the only station in the entire system to provide cross-platform transfers between "A" Division () and "B" Division () trains. While the station is near the Queens Plaza underground subway station, which serves the IND Queens Boulevard Line, the two stations are separate and do not allow free transfers.
Queensboro Plaza station | Introduction
The upper deck contains only the one middle track now, which is currently used only by the High Level Bridge Streetcar, a historic streetcar route that travels from the Strathcona Streetcar Barn & Museum, just north of the Strathcona Farmers Market, in Old Strathcona, to Jasper Plaza south of Jasper Avenue, between 109 Street and 110 Street, in downtown, with three intermediate stops.
High Level Bridge (Edmonton) | Introduction
Unused tunnel stubs of 260 metres for proposed lines to Newport and Northbridge were cut at the same time with Chief Design Engineer John Bradfield calculating that without these, later construction of these lines would interfere with the North Shore line. From 1932 until 1958, two of the rail tracks designed for the bridge were used by trams, the latter being diverted onto Blue Street just before they would have entered North Sydney Station. After 1958 the tram tracks were removed from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and replaced by the Cahill Expressway.
North Sydney railway station | History
The upper level was to be used by the new passenger line and the lower level was to be used for the freight line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The new high-speed line and double-decker Centre Street Bridge was completed on November 18, 1911. The last rail that had to be constructed was completed that very day for the eighty-six Newark-bound trains to run in each direction of that line. The drawbridge's only use was for the freight line that was to go along the lower level of the bridge. As proposed, the upper level was given to the line. On November 25, 1911, the bridge re-opened once again as a double level bridge.
New Jersey Route 158 | Railroad bridge
An additional two-track connection, tracks ST-1 and ST-2, is planned between the line toward Lower Manhattan (around 63rd Street) and the IND 63rd Street Line toward Queens using existing bellmouths that are at 63rd Street and First Avenue. Current plans do not call for it to be used by regular service, but instead to be used for non-revenue moves, and to provide a connection to the Jamaica Yard maintenance depot. The connection would allow for trains to run from the Financial District to Queens if the capacity of the IND Queens Boulevard Line was increased, or if the Queens Super-Express Bypass was built.
72nd Street station (Second Avenue Subway) | Phase Three
Although the track on either end of the bridge was single line, the bridge itself was constructed to double track width with an eye to the future duplication of the line. This led to the undesirable practice of the bridge being used as a crossing point for trains, thus regularly subjecting the structure to maximum stress loads. The bridge showed signs of problems within 12 months and the contractors were called back to repair some faults with the piers. Through the 1920s and 1930s, many design faults and problems became evident. By 1925 the original loading of the bridge was considered inadequate and in 1925 it was decided to strengthen the deck.
Hawkesbury River railway bridge | Problems arise
A similar station was planned underneath the existing (also situated along Queen Street). Although underground pipes and conduits were specifically routed around this intended site, construction was never started. The trackway was planned for streetcars rather than dedicated subway trains, similar to the much newer streetcar-only underground track originating at Union station used for the 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront routes. The Queen subway would have allowed streetcars from the 501 Queen, 504 King, 503 Kingston Road, and 505 Dundas to avoid centre-city traffic, and then surface to run on regular streets in outlying areas.
Queen station | Lower Queen
The Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges are the only suspension bridges in New York City that still carry both automobile and rail traffic. The Williamsburg once held four trolley tracks in addition to the two subway tracks currently on the bridge that connect the New York City Subway's BMT Nassau Street Line and BMT Jamaica Line. Two tracks on the south side carried streetcars from the Brooklyn side: Two north-side tracks carried Manhattan streetcars:
Williamsburg Bridge | Rail tracks
Railway No.3 was inspected by Major General C S Hutchinson on behalf of the Board of Trade on 11 October 1878, stating that "I must report that by reason of the incompleteness of the work (viz. the want of a terminal station) the Halifax, Thornton and Keighley Railway and its westerly fork cannot be opened for passenger traffic without danger to the public". Goods trains started to use the line almost immediately, but passenger services were not introduced until 1 December 1879. In 1882, defects were found in the arch and sidewalls at several locations through the tunnel, caused by poor workmanship and the effects of adjacent mine workings.
Queensbury Tunnel | Operational period
This track connection is currently utilized by the train; the trains continue to use the connection to Queensboro Plaza. In 1983, as part of the MTA's first Capital Program, it was announced that work was required to keep the 60th Street Tunnel in a state of good repair. Work on the $34 million project started in November 1990. On July 27, 1992, N and R trains began running through the tunnel at normal speed ( after two years of work. During the project, trains went through the tunnel at , and weekend and late night service was shut down. Ridership decreased from 225,000 to 160,000 daily riders.
60th Street Tunnel | Later years
The tail track south of the station was the site of a train crash on November 6, 2007. North of this station, there are two stub tracks, which end behind the now-closed Queens-bound side platform. These tracks were formerly connected to the Manhattan Bridge, until they were disconnected in 1967 as part of the Chrystie Street Connection, with the BMT Broadway Line being connected to the bridge instead. Also north of this station, the former southbound express track (now the northbound track) splits into two tracks just south of Canal Street: the former northbound local track, and the former southbound express track (the current northbound track).
Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station | BMT Nassau Street Line platforms
The MBTCL operated from Fulton Street and Flatbush extension in Downtown Brooklyn to a three track loop at Bowery and Bayard Street in what is today part of Chinatown. The two track terminal at Fulton Street was shared with the Third Avenue Railway System cars that used the north tracks of the bridge. When the bridge first opened, the streetcars used what are now the subway tracks. When the BMT subway was ready to use the bridge, the streetcar tracks were relocated to the upper level, where auto roadways are over the subway tracks today. The MBTCL continued operating trolleys over the bridge until November 13, 1929, by which time patronage had declined due to the popularity of the automobile, as well as rapid transit.
Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line | History
The current bellmouth, built along with the Queens Boulevard connection, is two levels deep with two additional stub-end subway tracks named T1A and T2A. It is viable for future construction of the bypass or the Northern Boulevard transfer station. The original bellmouth stopped at 29th Street. The lower level of the bellmouth was excavated in 2003 for the LIRR East Side Access project, which also extended the subway stub tracks farther east towards Sunnyside Yard. Just above the connection sits the 29th Street Ventilation Complex, built with the connector, in the site of a former parking lot. West of the station, a second ventilation complex lies in Queensbridge Park between Vernon Boulevard and the East River.
21st Street–Queensbridge station | Stub tracks east of the station
Services at Three Bridges are operated by Southern and Thameslink using Class 377 and Class 700 EMUs. The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: On Sundays, the services to London Victoria and Cambridge reduce to hourly and the service to Peterborough runs hourly but only as far as London Bridge.
Three Bridges railway station | Services
Until the connection to the Queens Boulevard Line opened, this station shared the characteristic of a two side platformed terminal station with Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College on the IRT Nostrand Avenue Line. This is an inefficient terminal setup, requiring passengers to know which track the next train will depart from before going to the platform level. As a terminal from 1989 to 2001, the station had tail tracks that continued eastward as far as 29th Street, ending at bumper blocks. Also, this station has "punch boxes", with buttons to indicate route selection to the train dispatcher; a control tower on the west end of Manhattan-bound platform, which can be used if necessary; and a diamond crossover switch to the west which was used to turn trains.
21st Street–Queensbridge station | Track layout
The addition of railroads and a bridge made Queens Plaza easily accessible from Manhattan. Queensboro Bridge Plaza, as it was originally called, soon experienced an increase in real estate development. By 1915, the bridge was overcrowded with traffic, and subway tracks were built above the plaza. The Queensboro Plaza station, a large two-level subway hub for the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation and Interborough Rapid Transit Company, opened above Queens Plaza in 1916-1917. The construction of the Queensboro Plaza station necessitated the removal of Queens Plaza's landscaped medians. From the 1920s through World War II, Queens Plaza served as the location for many factories and warehouses, some of which later became office buildings, as well as a financial hub with several banks.
Queens Plaza (Queens) | 20th century
It has always been fed by tracks from the BMT Fourth Avenue Line and the BMT Brighton Line; however, the junction between the lines was reconstructed in 1956, and Myrtle Avenue subway station, just near the foot of the bridge, was closed. On the Manhattan side, however, the two north tracks originally connected to the BMT Broadway Line (where the south tracks now connect) while the two south tracks curved south to join the BMT Nassau Street Line towards Chambers Street. This connection has been severed and the tracks are now used for storage. On November 26, 1931, a connection south of Chambers Street to the Montague Street Tunnel opened, adding two stations (Fulton Streets and Broad) and rerouted train service on the bridge's south side.
Manhattan Bridge | Trackage history
East of the 179th Street there are two four track levels both used as train storage. The upper level was intended to be extended eastward, while the lower level was always intended to be used to relay and store trains. The tracks on the upper level are longer than the lower level tracks and the upper level tracks have a wooden partition at the bumper blocks. The tracks continue until 184th Street. Several stations along the line also have provisions for other extensions as part of the IND Second System. The Roosevelt Avenue station has an additional upper level platform and bellmouth provisions east of the station, which would have gone to a Queens crosstown line to the Rockaways.
IND Queens Boulevard Line | IND Second System
Freight trains crossed the bridge from 28 July 1850 and the structure was opened formally by Queen Victoria on 29 August 1850, the day she opened the station at Newcastle Central. The N&DJR had been given permission in 1846 for a line from Penshaw, on the main line just south of Washington, to a station in Fawcett Street in Sunderland. The line opened to freight on 20 February 1852 and passengers were carried after 1 June 1853. Authority for line through the Team Valley to Bishop Auckland was given to the YN&BR in 1848, but work did not start following Hudson's departure the following year.
York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway | New lines
The new bridge opened to traffic on 23 February 2015. The route has 89 level crossings between York and Scarborough; 12 are supervised, 10 automatic and 67 are user worked crossings. All supervised and automatic crossings and the residual seven signal boxes en route will be closed and control handed over to the York Rail Operating Centre by 2025.
York–Scarborough line | Modern
A feature of the line was the unusual station at , which was on a triangular track layout, with two platforms on each of the three chords.
Queensbury lines | Introduction
Equipment was primarily on the ground floor, with the operation rooms on first and second floors. In December 2011, Network Rail began construction of a rail operating centre at Three Bridges, one of 14 countrywide intended to replace several hundred signalboxes; the Three Bridges centre was built to control rail operations in the Sussex area. The facility was constructed by C. Spencer Ltd, and was expected to employ around 600 people, with a 900-person net job benefit once complete. The facility was officially opened in January 2014.
Three Bridges railway station | Three Bridges rail operating centre
The High Level Bridge was an important node on the railway network, and as branch line passenger services and mineral traffic built up it became a bottleneck. This was exacerbated by the location of the main locomotive depot for Newcastle being located at Gateshead; as many train services changed engines at Newcastle this generated a huge number of light engine movements to and from the depot across the bridge. At the beginning of the twentieth-century proposals were brought forward to build a second, rail-only bridge. This became the King Edward VII Bridge, located a few hundred yards to the west of the High Level Bridge.
High Level Bridge | A second crossing
The northern Forth Bridge approaches involved difficult engineering; the Inverkeithing station was resited, and the Forth Bridge approach line ran to the west of the North Queensferry line, running then through a 386 yard tunnel beneath Inverkeithing town. It then followed a shelf above the Inner Bay of Inverkeithing, then turning south-east, crossing the North Queensferry line on Jamestown Viaduct. Climbing at 1 in 70 the line now ran through North Queensferry Tunnel, 569 yards, joining to the immediate approaches of the Forth Bridge just south of the new North Queensferry station. An extinct volcano was encountered in constructing the route; the exceptionally hard material making the formation of the cutting difficult.
Forth Bridge approach railways | Inverkeithing lines
Additional work was undertaken by the provincial government on the approach routes to the span, with additional infilling of Charlottetown Harbour to extend Water Street through the former railway yard (CN Rail abandoned rail service in PEI on December 31, 1989) and intersection with Grafton Street and Riverside Drive. Additional redesign work was undertaken on the Southport side of the bridge to allow for a more efficient traffic flow.
Hillsborough River Bridge | Other works
In 1950 CNR structural engineers felt the bridge was unsafe for any rail traffic and the rails were removed while the railway instituted taxi service for passengers travelling to Murray Harbour, allowing them to board passenger trains at its terminus near the bridge abutment in Southport. No longer used for rail traffic, CNR wished to rid itself of operating the bridge and tried to get the provincial government to take ownership. The provincial government, which had been getting away with having the federally owned railway company operate this important bridge for many years, sought to delay any handover and at one point in the early 1950s, CNR engineers barricaded the bridge to public travel, partly out of concern that the bridge was unsafe, and partly to pressure the provincial negotiators.
Hillsborough River Bridge | Decline
The footbridge is a standard Warren truss trestle and stairway with Hardie board long plank timber deck and channel iron stair stringers. The railing is supported on curved mild steel brackets. The footbridge connects both platforms and as the station is situated in a cutting, it extends on one side to the top of the embankment to connect to Patrick Street in the east and Station Street to the west. The balustrades to the stairs are timber post and handrail with wire mesh infill while the sides of the bridge enclosed with corrugated metal sheeting.
Mount Victoria railway station | Footbridge (1911)
The signal box which controlled the crossing was abolished in February 2015 when the controls were transferred to Three Bridges Regional Operations Centre.
Hampden Park railway station | Introduction
As at 26 April 2006, the bridge's physical condition was good. Apart from relatively minor technical works of repair and strengthening, all the iron lattice railway bridges retain their original fabrics. In 2017 it was reported that the 135-year-old steel bridge has a speed limit for passenger trains.
Macdonald River railway bridge, Woolbrook | Condition
Thus, though the span is straight, the overall crossing takes a distinctive curving alignment. The causeways were widened to the Trans-Canada Highway standard width of 3 lanes (2 travel lanes and emergency shoulders) and lengthened to narrow the span to roughly half that of the railway bridge.
Hillsborough River Bridge | Second bridge, 1962-present
From the bridge, separate stairs and elevators connect to all platforms. The bridge also connects to a second station entrance from road on the north side of the tracks.
Gomen Station | Layout
However, this service was suspended in 2017. The bridge is also part of the New York Connecting Railroad, a rail line that links New York City and Long Island to the North American mainland. The third track forms part of the CSX Fremont Secondary and carries CSX, Canadian Pacific and Providence & Worcester Railroad freight trains between Oak Point Yard in the Bronx and Fresh Pond Yard in Queens, where it connects with the New York and Atlantic Railway. In September 2009, Metro-North revived its planning efforts for its Penn Station Access project, which would use the Hell Gate Bridge to connect the New Haven Line to Penn Station.
Hell Gate Bridge | Current use
A single-span wrought iron lattice bridge. The span is to the centre of bearings and the lattice work has seven triangulations. The bridge carries a single railway, with transomes on timber stringers on metal cross girders, which frame into the sides of the lower chords. The main trusses are through type lattice trusses, simply supported. They are of constant depth with seven triangulations and are connected together above the track by characteristic arched, latticed braces. The abutments are of brick. The super structure was fabricated by J. and C. Brettell, Worcester, England; A. and R. Amos were the principal contractors.
Macdonald River railway bridge, Woolbrook | Description
The second bridge across the Ouse was the Scarborough Railway Bridge, built in 1845 to carry the railway line between York and Scarborough (now the Scarborough branch of the North TransPennine route). Originally it had two tracks with a pedestrian path in between them. In 1875, the track was raised 4 feet (1.2 m) and the footpath moved to the south side. This bridge had a £6 million renovation in 2015 with the main decks being completely replaced. The narrow footpath, with steps on either side was removed in 2019 and replaced with a much wider bridge suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.
Bridges of York | Scarborough Railway Bridge
Some double-decked bridges only use one level for street traffic; the Washington Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis reserves its lower level for automobile and light rail traffic and its upper level for pedestrian and bicycle traffic (predominantly students at the University of Minnesota). Likewise, in Toronto, the Prince Edward Viaduct has five lanes of motor traffic, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks on its upper deck; and a pair of tracks for the Bloor–Danforth subway line on its lower deck. The western span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge also has two levels. Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge across the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne, completed in 1849, is an early example of a double-decked bridge.
Bridge | Double-decked bridges
Due to constraints imposed by geography and lack of government investment, Hurstbridge line is both notable and notorious for having several parts of single rail track along the 15 km section between Greensborough and Hurstbridge. Both Eltham and Diamond Creek stations have two platforms, which provide places at which trains can pass. This section of unduplicated track includes a timber trestle bridge near Eltham station that has heritage protection. The bridge has a 40 km/h speed limit. These single-track sections create bottlenecks at which trains must often wait for up to 10 minutes for an oncoming train before proceeding. Most of this section had earthworks done during the 1970s to allow for a second track, including abutments for bridges.
Hurstbridge railway line | Infrastructure
Officially it was called the "Railway Bridge", even though it was both a rail and road bridge. The bridge had a rail track running on one level and the lower level was designed for pedestrian and vehicular traffic which was originally intended only for military traffic but civilian traffic was allowed as well. The bridge turned out to be insufficient, mainly because it only had one rail track. For this reason, by 1908 the "Second Railway Bridge" was built. It was also known as the "Fourth Bridge" (after the third Poniatowski Bridge, which was built from 1904 to 1914). It was built right next to the first (basically as one bridge) and had two railway tracks.
Citadel Rail Bridge | History
When the first phase of the Bloor subway line opened, its tracks used the lower deck of the main phase across the Don River Valley to the east as originally intended. However, since the approach curves leading to the Rosedale section would be too sharp for the trains, the dedicated Rosedale Valley Bridge was built to carry them, and the lower deck of the original viaduct remains unused. Although the bridge once had open skylights for ventilation, they were later covered to reduce noise to the surrounding area. It can be seen from the north side of Bloor Street, which crosses from the adjacent Prince Edward Viaduct, or from below on Rosedale Valley Road which it passes over.
Rosedale Valley Bridge | Introduction
The outer roadway was later opened to vehicles at all times, but after a series of fatal crashes in 2013, officials decided to close the ramp during the nighttime. In March 2009, the New York City Bridge Centennial Commission sponsored events marking the centennial of the bridge's opening. The bridge was also designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers during the year of its centennial anniversary.
Queensboro Bridge | Since the 1980s
The last significant railway construction on Prince Edward Island occurred during the early 1930s when the Hillsborough River Bridge carrying the Murray Harbour line over the Hillsborough River was unable to handle the heavier standard gauge cars, thus a connecting track called the "Short Line" was built from a point at Maple Hill Junction on the Mount Stewart Jct.-Georgetown line, to connect with the Murray Harbour track at Lake Verde Junction. In 1951, the Hillsborough River bridge was deemed too weak to carry even the lightest engines and cars, thus the trackage was removed and trains trying to reach Southport on the opposite side of Charlottetown Harbour would have to run over via Mount Stewart Junction and the "Short Line".
Prince Edward Island Railway | Canadian National Railways
The lower level contains two rail tracks and two sheltered carriageways used for maintenance access and traffic lanes when particularly severe typhoons strike Hong Kong and the bridge deck is closed to traffic.
Tsing Ma Bridge | Introduction
Formerly, rail traffic operated on the Brooklyn Bridge as well. Cable cars and elevated railroads used the bridge until 1944, while trolleys ran until 1950.
Brooklyn Bridge | Rail traffic
Construction of the new bridge, made of prestressed concrete box girders, commenced in 1969 and was first used by the 18:17 service from Como on 19 November 1972. The old bridge, as well as a former alignment of the line between Mortdale and Oatley replaced in 1905, is now used as a rail trail for pedestrians and cyclists. Duplicated track now continues to Coniston, except for the section through the Clifton Tunnel.
South Coast railway line, New South Wales | Track amplification
This station has one 12-car-long high-level side platform to the north of the track. East of the station, on the other side of Larkfield Road, is a siding to allow trains to pass each other. The siding converges at DUKE interlocking and the two switches are maintained by two light signals next to the them. A second platform, for an extension of the siding, or a full second track, was originally planned for the station. The pedestrian bridge is wide enough for this extra construction, and the bridge's stairway on the far side of the station has a landing on the same level as the unbuilt outbound platform, symmetrical with the landing on the other side which is part of the existing platform.
Northport station | Station layout
The first bridge on the site was a double-track structure, opened in December 1860 by the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company. In 1886, a second double-track bridge was opened alongside the first, thereby allowing a four-track section of line to be provided between Richmond and South Yarra. The present bridge was opened in 1946. It accommodated three pairs of tracks between Richmond and South Yarra, although the two extra tracks were not constructed until 1960.
Cremorne Railway Bridge | History
In 1849, the High Level Bridge, a twin-deck railway and road bridge allowing traffic to cross the River Tyne, was opened by Queen Victoria. Trains could then reach Newcastle railway station but had to depart back across the High Level Bridge by reversing out of the station. Over the following 50 years, the railway network and the number of passengers had expanded greatly. By the 1890s, the volume of traffic crossing the High Level Bridge, 800 train and light engine movements daily, was major concern of the NER, who operated services across it. It was clear that a second railway bridge over the Tyne was needed.
King Edward VII Bridge | Background
Queens Quay is a unique station in Toronto because it is served by streetcars rather than subways. It is the only station to have a pedestrian crossing between platforms at track level, as there is no electrified rail to contend with. Streetcars crossing the pedestrian walkway must stop and sound their gong before proceeding; Union-bound streetcars stop immediately after rounding a sharp curve, ring their gong, and proceed into the stopping zone to load and unload passengers. Exhibition- and Spadina-bound streetcars enter the station, load and unload passengers, ring their gong, then proceed out of the station. Originally there was to have been an underground station in front of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel and the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.
Queens Quay station | Design
There is a crossover east of the station to allow trains to terminate there. The crossover is not often used.
Queensway tube station | The station today
On the lower level, they continue one train length and end at bumper blocks. This was a planned extension toward Hollis. Where the lower level tracks end, there is a provision for a diamond crossover switch at the end of the tunnel (under 160th Street). On the upper level, the tracks curve south to run under 160th Street and stop at about South Road, also ending at bumper blocks. The plan was for this line to use the LIRR Atlantic Branch right-of-way and run to Springfield Boulevard or Rosedale. Where the upper level tracks stub end, there is a provision for a portal to go outside if the line going to Southeastern Queens is ever built.
Archer Avenue lines | Extent and service
Buck and Henry Hornbostel, designers of the Williamsburg Bridge. Construction soon began, but it would take until 1909 for the bridge to be completed due to delays from the collapse of an incomplete span during a windstorm, and from labor unrest, which included an attempt to dynamite one span. The bridge opened for public use on March 30, 1909, having cost about $18 million and 50 lives. There was a ten-cent toll to drive over the bridge. The bridge's ceremonial grand opening was held on June 12, 1909. At the time, it was the fourth longest bridge in the world.
Queensboro Bridge | Construction
The Manhattan approach to the bridge is supported on a series of Guastavino tile vaults which formed the elegant ceiling of the former Food Emporium Bridge Market and the restaurant Guastavino's, located under the bridge. Originally, this open air promenade was known as Bridgemarket and was part of Hornbostel's attempt to make the bridge more hospitable in the city. In February 2020, it was announced that Trader Joe's is planning to open a supermarket in this space.
Queensboro Bridge | Manhattan approach
A handrail was added on one side to facilitate the Queen Mother crossing the bridge on her visits to the college. The ever-present boltheads are more visible in the post-1905 bridge which may have given rise to this failed reassembly myth.
Queens' College, Cambridge | The Mathematical Bridge
On November 5, they were taken off the island to be returned to central Canada and will be replaced by a new three-car train stock if service resumes. However, in February 2012, the very short stretch of track from Harbour Road to downtown Victoria was taken out of service because of the pending removal of the railway bridge as the start of the Johnson Street Bridge replacement project. The Johnson Street Bridge has been replaced with a new bridge, which sits on the site of the former railway bridge, and there are no current plans to replace the railway bridge.
Victoria–Courtenay train | Service suspension
The bridge is a cable-stayed structure, with three towers each high. Including approaches, the overall length of the bridge is ; at opening, it is the longest triple tower cable-stayed bridge in the world. The bridge carries motorcycles, cars and heavy goods vehicles, while public transport, cyclists and pedestrians use the existing bridge. Wind shielding has been built into the design, to enable use of the bridge in high winds, which regularly led to restrictions on the existing bridge. The bridge was closed for the first time on 11 February 2020, 30 months after opening, due to accumulations of ice on the towers.
Queensferry Crossing | The bridge
The former rail line continued north, where 110 Street is now, to the Old CN Rail yard (north of 104 Avenue). In the near future, the Edmonton Radial Railway Society hopes to extend the line south towards Whyte Avenue for a new terminus. To do this, the rail crossing on Gateway Boulevard will have to be reconstructed; it was removed to separate the streetcar line from the active CP lines. During summer festivals, such as the Fringe, service is extended to accommodate the increase in crowds.
Edmonton Radial Railway Society | High Level Bridge Streetcar
The Footbridge spans across the railway lines from west to east connecting the two parts of Grafton Street. There are three central spans, and approach sections at each end of some . It is framed with steel lattice trusses, with timber decking and steps. The handrails are back-to-back steel angles, and together with the steel stringers, incorporate a curve down to the landing of the stair. There are steel T sections curved to form brackets supporting the balustrade. The balustrade is enclosed with panels of chain-wire framed in timber.
Warwick railway station, Queensland | Grafton Street Footbridge
Several other services have used the express tracks, including the (Sea Beach, 1967–1968) and the (West End) and (Brighton) during closures of the Manhattan Bridge north tracks in the 1980s and 1990s. On May 6, 1985, double letters were eliminated, and the QB was relabeled the Q, and the RR was relabeled the R.
BMT Broadway Line | Chrystie Street Connection reconfiguration