Beacon Line
Encyclopedia
Metro-North Railroad
's Beacon Line is a non-revenue line connecting the railroad's three revenue lines east of the Hudson River
. West to east, they are the Hudson Line
, Harlem Line, and the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line. It was purchased by Metro-North in 1995 from Maybrook Properties, a subsidiary of the Housatonic Railroad
, to preserve it for future use, for training, and equipment moves. Maybrook Properties had purchased the line from Conrail after Conrail left the Danbury, Connecticut
, freight market.
The Maybrook Line was the main east-west freight service of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
, which became part of the Penn Central system in 1969, and subsequently Conrail in 1976. Service was originally from Maybrook, New York
in Orange County
via the Poughkeepse Railroad Bridge through Hopewell Junction, where it connected to the Hudson Line via the Beacon Secondary. It continued to a connection with the Waterbury Branch
in Derby, Connecticut
. The Housatonic Railroad owns and operates the portion between Danbury and Derby, which is the last remaining portion of the Maybrook which sees active freight use.
The portion west of Hopewell Junction to Maybrook was placed out of service in 1974 when a fire damaged the Poughkeepsie Bridge. Penn Central diverted traffic to the lightly used Beacon Secondary and upgraded it. Freight traffic abruptly halted when Conrail rerouted freight bound for New England to Springfield, MA via the Boston Line, and then south to New Haven, CT. Infrequent freight service continued for a short while but there is currently no freight service on the line.
The refurbished bridge is now a New York State Park, Walkway Over The Hudson. The remainder of the Beacon Line has also been placed out of service in a cost-saving measure.
station. the line heads south parallel to the Hudson Line for a short distance, then turns eastward to cross over the Hudson Line via a trestle.
Between the Hudson and Harlem lines, the Beacon runs a winding route, visible from many highways in Dutchess County
. Interstate 84
crosses overhead just east of Exit 12 in Fishkill
. U.S. Route 9
and NY 52
have grade crossings with the line, also in Fishkill. In Hopewell Junction, the line has grade crossings with NY 82
and NY 376
, before it passes underneath NY 82 for a second time. Motorists on the Taconic State Parkway
can see the Beacon Line crossing underneath the highway between the NY 52 exit and the Carpenter Road intersection. The next several miles are mostly rural areas, with the line going around mountains rather than tunneling through them.
In Towners, the Beacon Line crosses the Harlem Line but there is no interlocking between the two lines here. Rather, the Beacon Line turns south, running nearly parallel to the Harlem Line for a few miles as they straddle Ice Pond. A single-track connection runs northeast from the Harlem Line to the Beacon Line in this area.
Continuing south from this junction, the Beacon Line continues nearly parallel to the Harlem for a few more miles, turning eastward in Brewster, New York
. Here, the line again passes under I-84, then under Interstate 684
, and beneath I-84 again, within a few miles. Despite the line's limited usage, grade crossings are avoided with other roads in Brewster.
Heading east from Brewster, the line runs almost parallel with I-84 and U.S. routes 6
and 202
, which overlap here as they cross the border into Connecticut
. A short distance east, Routes 6 and 202 cross over the railroad, with the railroad now between the 6/202 concurrency and I-84. Further east, the line runs past the Danbury Fair Mall
, before turning north and then east to the Danbury station
on the Danbury Branch. The Beacon Line enters the Danbury Station from the northwest and the Danbury Branch comes in from the southeast. Running a train between the Danbury Branch and the Beacon Line requires a reverse move.
, the only other place all three east-of-Hudson lines are connected.
However, the high cost of maintaining a rail line, especially one that does not generate revenue, is a chief reason the Beacon Line is not used very often.
Another reason the Beacon Line is seldom used is because it is not electrified. It intersects all three mainlines north of the point where each line's own electrification ends. Trains that run exclusively electric would need to be towed by diesel engines in order to make use of the Beacon Line, a procedure that would likely take more time and money than running the trains (on their own power) down to New York City, then back up to their destination (such as the railroad's massive Croton Yard
shop facility).
Many have advocated reactivating the line for passenger service. Although no such service is currently contemplated, it was one of the reasons for the purchase of the line. One current use of the line is as the Dutchess Rail Trail
. The portion of the line which was the former Maybrook Line was double-tracked; the Beacon Secondary Track was single-tracked. Dutchess County is currently attempting to acquire Right-of-way along the Beacon secondary to continue Phase III of the rail-trail project.
On Monday morning, March 7, 2011, when heavy downpours washed out part of the right-of-way on the Danbury Branch just south of Bethel, 5 locomotives and 25 rail cars were stranded in Danbury Yard. Because these trains were needed for passenger service and the repairs were expected to last at least two weeks, the MTA decided to move the equipment over the Beacon Line to the Harlem Line just north of Brewster, where the trains were moved south to the Mott Haven Wye, where they were sent back up the New Haven Line to Stamford for passenger service. Multiple cars were coupled, with the trains moving slowly (10 mph.) The rail cars were moved out of Danbury Yard, with limited train service restored through Branchville Station on the New Haven Line. The work on the right-of-way was completed 10 days later, with full train service on the Danbury Branch restored.
dogs, and train cars will be dropped off from time to time on a siding that is to be constructed.
Hopewell Junction is not listed as an abandoned station as though it was a Maybrook Line station, its location placed it on the now-abandoned stretch from Hopewell Junction to Poughkeepsie. Throughout the entire Beacon Line all platforms were low level, with one track, non electrified.
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
's Beacon Line is a non-revenue line connecting the railroad's three revenue lines east of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. West to east, they are the Hudson Line
Hudson Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...
, Harlem Line, and the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line. It was purchased by Metro-North in 1995 from Maybrook Properties, a subsidiary of the Housatonic Railroad
Housatonic Railroad
The Housatonic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.The...
, to preserve it for future use, for training, and equipment moves. Maybrook Properties had purchased the line from Conrail after Conrail left the Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, freight market.
History
The Beacon Line consists of parts of two former railroads:- The Beacon Secondary Track, formerly known as the Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad, which runs from a connection south of Beacon, NY on the Hudson Line at the former Dutchess Junction to Hopewell Junction
- The Maybrook LineMaybrook LineThe Maybrook Line was a line of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad which connected with its Waterbury Branch in Derby, CT and its Maybrook Yard in Maybrook, NY where it interchanged with other carriers...
, or Maybrook Branch, which runs from Hopewell Junction to Danbury, Connecticut, where it joins the Danbury Branch. The Beacon Line is considered to end at the Danbury Branch; however, the portion in Connecticut is owned by the Housatonic Railroad, although Metro-North may move trains over that portion.
The Maybrook Line was the main east-west freight service of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
, which became part of the Penn Central system in 1969, and subsequently Conrail in 1976. Service was originally from Maybrook, New York
Maybrook, New York
Maybrook is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,084 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
via the Poughkeepse Railroad Bridge through Hopewell Junction, where it connected to the Hudson Line via the Beacon Secondary. It continued to a connection with the Waterbury Branch
Waterbury Branch
Metro-North Railroad's Waterbury Branch is a branch of the New Haven Line, running north from a junction east of Stratford to Waterbury. Originally built as the Naugatuck Railroad, it once continued north to Winsted...
in Derby, Connecticut
Derby, Connecticut
Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
. The Housatonic Railroad owns and operates the portion between Danbury and Derby, which is the last remaining portion of the Maybrook which sees active freight use.
The portion west of Hopewell Junction to Maybrook was placed out of service in 1974 when a fire damaged the Poughkeepsie Bridge. Penn Central diverted traffic to the lightly used Beacon Secondary and upgraded it. Freight traffic abruptly halted when Conrail rerouted freight bound for New England to Springfield, MA via the Boston Line, and then south to New Haven, CT. Infrequent freight service continued for a short while but there is currently no freight service on the line.
The refurbished bridge is now a New York State Park, Walkway Over The Hudson. The remainder of the Beacon Line has also been placed out of service in a cost-saving measure.
Route geography
The Beacon Line's western terminus is a short distance south of the BeaconBeacon (Metro-North station)
Beacon is a Metro-North Railroad station that serves the residents of Beacon, New York, via the Hudson Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour during off peak hours, and about every 15–25 minutes during rush hour...
station. the line heads south parallel to the Hudson Line for a short distance, then turns eastward to cross over the Hudson Line via a trestle.
Between the Hudson and Harlem lines, the Beacon runs a winding route, visible from many highways in Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
. Interstate 84
Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
crosses overhead just east of Exit 12 in Fishkill
Fishkill, New York
Fishkill is an upscale village within the much larger town, Town of Fishkill, one of the fastest growing towns in the region, in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The village population was 1,735 at the 2000 census...
. U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9 is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the United States. It is one of only two U.S. highways with a ferry connection ; the other being US 10. US 9 is signed east–west in Delaware and north–south on the rest of...
and NY 52
New York State Route 52
New York State Route 52 is a long state highway in the southeastern part of New York in the United States. It generally runs from west to east, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, crossing the Hudson River on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and ending...
have grade crossings with the line, also in Fishkill. In Hopewell Junction, the line has grade crossings with NY 82
New York State Route 82
New York State Route 82 is a state highway in the eastern Hudson Valley of New York, United States. It begins at an intersection with NY 52 northeast of the village of Fishkill, bends eastward towards Millbrook, and then returns westward to end at a junction with U.S. Route 9,...
and NY 376
New York State Route 376
New York State Route 376 is a state highway located entirely within Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley region of New York, United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 52 in East Fishkill and passes north through Hopewell Junction and Red Oaks Mill on its way to the city...
, before it passes underneath NY 82 for a second time. Motorists on the Taconic State Parkway
Taconic State Parkway
The Taconic State Parkway , is a divided highway between Kensico Dam and Chatham, the longest parkway in the U.S. state of New York. It follows a generally northward route midway between the Hudson River and the Connecticut and Massachusetts state lines...
can see the Beacon Line crossing underneath the highway between the NY 52 exit and the Carpenter Road intersection. The next several miles are mostly rural areas, with the line going around mountains rather than tunneling through them.
In Towners, the Beacon Line crosses the Harlem Line but there is no interlocking between the two lines here. Rather, the Beacon Line turns south, running nearly parallel to the Harlem Line for a few miles as they straddle Ice Pond. A single-track connection runs northeast from the Harlem Line to the Beacon Line in this area.
Continuing south from this junction, the Beacon Line continues nearly parallel to the Harlem for a few more miles, turning eastward in Brewster, New York
Brewster, New York
Brewster is a village within the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York, United States. Its population was 2,162 at the 2000 census. The village is the most densely populated portion of the town...
. Here, the line again passes under I-84, then under Interstate 684
Interstate 684
Interstate 684 is a 28.4 mile-long north–south Interstate Highway in the states of New York and Connecticut. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkway, primarily serving commuter traffic to and from the northern suburbs of the New York metropolitan area...
, and beneath I-84 again, within a few miles. Despite the line's limited usage, grade crossings are avoided with other roads in Brewster.
Heading east from Brewster, the line runs almost parallel with I-84 and U.S. routes 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
, which overlap here as they cross the border into Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. A short distance east, Routes 6 and 202 cross over the railroad, with the railroad now between the 6/202 concurrency and I-84. Further east, the line runs past the Danbury Fair Mall
Danbury Fair Mall
As of 2011, Danbury Fair is the second largest shopping mall in Connecticut as well as the fifth largest in New England. It is located off of Interstate 84 and U.S...
, before turning north and then east to the Danbury station
Danbury (Metro-North station)
The Danbury Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding areas at the north terminus of the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line...
on the Danbury Branch. The Beacon Line enters the Danbury Station from the northwest and the Danbury Branch comes in from the southeast. Running a train between the Danbury Branch and the Beacon Line requires a reverse move.
Current and future use
The Beacon Line was purchased by Metro-North so it could keep the right-of-way intact for possible future use. It also serves as a route to move trains between Metro-North's various service and maintenance facilities, without the need to move trains all the way down to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the only other place all three east-of-Hudson lines are connected.
However, the high cost of maintaining a rail line, especially one that does not generate revenue, is a chief reason the Beacon Line is not used very often.
Another reason the Beacon Line is seldom used is because it is not electrified. It intersects all three mainlines north of the point where each line's own electrification ends. Trains that run exclusively electric would need to be towed by diesel engines in order to make use of the Beacon Line, a procedure that would likely take more time and money than running the trains (on their own power) down to New York City, then back up to their destination (such as the railroad's massive Croton Yard
Croton-Harmon (Metro-North station)
The Croton–Harmon Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Croton-on-Hudson, New York via the Hudson Line. It is the main transfer point between the Hudson Line's local and express service, and it is also served by almost all Amtrak trains on the line. Metro-North trains leave for New...
shop facility).
Many have advocated reactivating the line for passenger service. Although no such service is currently contemplated, it was one of the reasons for the purchase of the line. One current use of the line is as the Dutchess Rail Trail
Dutchess Rail Trail
The Dutchess Rail Trail is a rail trail that stretches from Poughkeepsie east and south to Hopewell Junction. It occupies the right-of-way of the former Central New England Railway's abandoned Maybrook Line....
. The portion of the line which was the former Maybrook Line was double-tracked; the Beacon Secondary Track was single-tracked. Dutchess County is currently attempting to acquire Right-of-way along the Beacon secondary to continue Phase III of the rail-trail project.
On Monday morning, March 7, 2011, when heavy downpours washed out part of the right-of-way on the Danbury Branch just south of Bethel, 5 locomotives and 25 rail cars were stranded in Danbury Yard. Because these trains were needed for passenger service and the repairs were expected to last at least two weeks, the MTA decided to move the equipment over the Beacon Line to the Harlem Line just north of Brewster, where the trains were moved south to the Mott Haven Wye, where they were sent back up the New Haven Line to Stamford for passenger service. Multiple cars were coupled, with the trains moving slowly (10 mph.) The rail cars were moved out of Danbury Yard, with limited train service restored through Branchville Station on the New Haven Line. The work on the right-of-way was completed 10 days later, with full train service on the Danbury Branch restored.
Improvements
Metro-North added fiber-optics along the Beacon Line in 2007 as well as signal bungalows at many grade crossings. The current setup gives Metro-North a more advanced communications network stretching from Beacon to Dykemans. Currently Metro-North is constructing a facility along the line in Stormville to train MTA PoliceMTA Police
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police, or MTA Police, is the police agency of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA...
dogs, and train cars will be dropped off from time to time on a siding that is to be constructed.
Station stops
There is no current passenger service on the Beacon Line. The station stops listed (from west to east) are according to railroad timetable and serve as "control points". They may or may not conform to historical stops nor planned locations for any future service. Passenger service ceased in 1927.- Glenham, NY
- Fishkill, NY
- Hopewell (Hopewell Junction, NY)
- Appalachian TrailAppalachian TrailThe Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
- Holmes, NY
- Dykemans, NY
- Danbury, CT (same as on the Danbury Branch)
Former passenger
Former passenger stations on current portions of the Beacon Line include :- Stormville, NY
- Green Haven, NY
- Poughquag, NY
- West Pawling, NY
- Whaley Lake, NY
- Holmes, NY
- West Patterson, NY
- Towners, NY
- Dykemans, NY
- Brewster, NY
- Mill Plain, CT
- Danbury, CT
Hopewell Junction is not listed as an abandoned station as though it was a Maybrook Line station, its location placed it on the now-abandoned stretch from Hopewell Junction to Poughkeepsie. Throughout the entire Beacon Line all platforms were low level, with one track, non electrified.