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Harlem Line (Metro-North)
Encyclopedia
Metro-North's Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York & Harlem Railroad, is an 82-mile (132 km) commuter rail line running north from New York City
into eastern Dutchess County
. The lower 53 miles (86 km) from Grand Central Terminal
to Southeast
, in Putnam County
, are electrified with a third rail
and has two (or more) tracks; north of that point, trains use diesel locomotive
s on a single track. The diesel trains run as a shuttle on the northern end of the line except during rush hours, when they run as expresses to or from Grand Central. There is also one direct roundtrip to Grand Central on weekends. While the line has traditionally served to bring commuters from Westchester County
to jobs in the city, in recent years it has begun to see more "reverse commuting", as Bronx residents use it to reach jobs in Southern Westchester
where many stations are within walking distance of city centers. The northern reaches of the line are also close enough to Western Massachusetts
to enable residents of part of that region to commute to jobs in the city as well, albeit at a considerable expense in time and money.
With 38 stations, the Harlem Line has the most of any Metro-North main line. Its northern terminal
, Wassaic
, is the northernmost station in the system. It is the only Metro-North line used exclusively by that carrier (no use by Amtrak
, though CSX services freight customers as far north as Mount Vernon) and the only one that uses the entirety of existing track. Metro-North has assigned it the color code
blue, used as trim on station signs and spot color
on printed timetables
. The blue color-coding appears to have started with timetables issued by predecessor New York Central as far back as 1965.
, about 52 miles past the current terminal at Wassaic
. Passenger service from Dover Plains
to Chatham was abandoned in 1972, and the tracks were removed north of Millerton
shortly thereafter. A decade later, freight service between Dover Plains and Millerton was abandoned, with tracks removed from Wassaic to Millerton. On July 9, 2000, Metro-North restored service between Dover Plains and Wassaic, a move the railroad billed as its first service expansion since it was created in 1983.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) leased the line south of Dover Plains from Penn Central on June 1, 1972. Penn Central operated the last southbound passenger train between Chatham and Grand Central Terminal
on March 20, 1972, ending service in the middle of the day. With no scheduled return trip to Chatham, passengers who had gone south in the morning were left stranded, with service going only as far north as Dover Plains (52 miles shy of Chatham).
The segment of the line that ran from Wassaic to Craryville, New York
is now under control of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association which currently has trails operating from Wassaic to the former Millerton station and between Under Mountain Road and Copake Falls, known as the Harlem Valley Rail Trail
.
North of Brewster is a connection with Metro-North's Beacon Line, which was purchased by Metro-North for preservation for future use. There are currently no plans for branch service on this line, which runs north and west to Hopewell Junction, and then south and west to Beacon. It also runs east to Danbury, but a reverse move would be required.
-based transportation corridors dating back to even pre-rail times. It follows three major parkway
s closely from the Bronx northwards through Westchester: the Bronx River Parkway
(and a short portion that becomes the Taconic State Parkway
), the Saw Mill River Parkway
and Interstate 684
. In the last section it also begins to run close to NY 22
, the long north-south two-lane state highway that parallels the eastern border of the state.
In Westchester, it serves some of that county's most affluent communities as it slowly trends eastward.
. The train tracks rise to ground level north of 97th Street in Manhattan
. After stopping at Harlem – 125th Street, the Harlem Line crosses the Harlem River at 135th Street in Manhattan
, entering the Bronx
.
In the Bronx, the Harlem Line cuts through the neighborhoods of the southwest Bronx, with two stations: Melrose
, at 162nd Street (it then runs under the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95
) and Tremont
, at 177th Street. Fordham
station is next, at Fordham Road (190th Street). The Harlem Line then parallels the western edge of Fordham University
until the Botanical Garden
station at Bedford Park Boulevard (200th Street).
The Harlem Line then cuts northeast to join the Bronx River Parkway, which lies to the east of the tracks. The Williams Bridge
station is next, at Gun Hill Road (210th Street). After the Williams Bridge station, Woodlawn Cemetery begins to the west of the tracks, with Webster Avenue in between the cemetery and tracks. The Woodlawn
station is at 233rd Street.
The Harlem Line then goes under a bridge for the parkway, and it remains to the west of the tracks until Scarsdale
station. The Wakefield
station at 241st Street concludes the Bronx
portion of the Harlem Line.
portion of the Harlem Line begins at Bronx River Road
in southeastern Yonkers. After the Mount Vernon West
station, the Harlem Line runs along the on-ramp to the Cross County Parkway
eastbound, right before Fleetwood station. After the Bronxville
station, the Harlem Line parallels the Bronx River Parkway
all the way up to White Plains
.
From White Plains, the railroad winds its way through the city and passing through the yards at North White Plains
which until 1984 was the northern boundary of third-rail electrification. The stretch north of North White Plains is unique because it is the only electrified stretch of Metro-North's network that has grade crossings, a byproduct of its existence pre-electrification. Katonah
and Brewster are located right next to grade crossings.
After North White Plains, the next station is Valhalla
adjacent to the Taconic State Parkway. The double-track railroad then curves to follow the Saw Mill River
Valley and the eponymous parkway. Rail and road briefly separate at Mount Kisco
, but then remain close by at the last stop along the Saw Mill, Bedford Hills
(although the parkway cannot be seen from the station).
Past Katonah
, the railroad runs between the Croton River
and I-684. Golden's Bridge
and Purdy's
are both located very close to the interstate, although only the former can be seen from it. North of the latter, the tracks follow the river to Croton Falls
, and pick up Route 22 for the first time.
and crosses into Putnam County. The landscape is increasingly rural. Above Southeast
station (formerly Brewster North), the railroad passes under Interstate 84
and through the yards at Putnam Junction. This is the northern boundary of third rail
electrification. Diesel territory and single track begins here. The track finally follow its own course, away from any road or river, past the long-abandoned Towners station up to Patterson
and into Dutchess County.
, the line enters the Harlem Valley from which it takes its name and begins to parallel Route 22, although not as closely as it did the roads further south. A few miles north of Pawling the Appalachian Trail
crossing has earned its own
flag stop
to allow thru-hikers
to take a break in the city and day hikers to visit the nearby Pawling Nature Preserve
.
The next two stops, Harlem Valley – Wingdale and Dover Plains
, are roughly eight miles (13 km) apart, the longest distance between any two stops on the Harlem Line. Until 2000, Dover Plains was the last stop on the line, but then tracks remaining from the NYCRR era that had not yet been torn up were renovated and the line was extended to Tenmile River
and its new northern terminus, Wassaic
. A small yard
where diesel trains await their routes just past the station marks the end of the line.
s are usually used. As with the Hudson Line, diesel-powered trains are driven by dual-mode Genesis
and BL20-GH locomotives, paired with Shoreliner coaches. While some peak-period trains operate directly to and from Grand Central Terminal
, most Harlem Line diesel-only territory is operated as shuttle service between Southeast (where electrification ends) and Wassaic, 29 miles north in Dutchess County.
New 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...
into eastern 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...
. The lower 53 miles (86 km) from Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
to Southeast
Southeast (Metro-North station)
Southeast is a Metro-North Railroad station serving the residents of Southeast, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour. It is the terminus of the Harlem Line electrified service. For travel farther north to Wassaic,...
, in Putnam County
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
, are electrified with a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
and has two (or more) tracks; north of that point, trains use diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s on a single track. The diesel trains run as a shuttle on the northern end of the line except during rush hours, when they run as expresses to or from Grand Central. There is also one direct roundtrip to Grand Central on weekends. While the line has traditionally served to bring commuters from Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
to jobs in the city, in recent years it has begun to see more "reverse commuting", as Bronx residents use it to reach jobs in Southern Westchester
Southern Westchester
Southern Westchester refers to the lower portion of Westchester County, New York , a suburban area north of New York City.Officially, the Westchester County Department of Planning divides the county into North, Central and South geographical sub-regions...
where many stations are within walking distance of city centers. The northern reaches of the line are also close enough to Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
to enable residents of part of that region to commute to jobs in the city as well, albeit at a considerable expense in time and money.
With 38 stations, the Harlem Line has the most of any Metro-North main line. Its northern terminal
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
, Wassaic
Wassaic (Metro-North station)
The Wassaic Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Wassaic, New York as the northern terminal of the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
, is the northernmost station in the system. It is the only Metro-North line used exclusively by that carrier (no use by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, though CSX services freight customers as far north as Mount Vernon) and the only one that uses the entirety of existing track. Metro-North has assigned it the color code
Color code
A color code is a system for displaying information by using different colors. Color codes are often difficult for color blind and blind people to interpret....
blue, used as trim on station signs and spot color
Spot color
In offset printing, a spot color is any color generated by an ink that is printed using a single run.The widely spread offset-printing process is composed of four spot colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key commonly referred to as CMYK...
on printed timetables
Public transport timetable
A public transport timetable is a representation of public transport information to assist a passenger with planning a trip using public transport. A timetable details when vehicle will arrive and depart specified locations and may be organised for by route or for a particular stop...
. The blue color-coding appears to have started with timetables issued by predecessor New York Central as far back as 1965.
Station stops
| State | Town/City | Milepost | Station | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
0.0 | Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : trains; M1, M2, M3, M4, M42, M101, M102, M103 buses |
| 4.2 | Harlem – 125th Street | NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : trains; M1 (northbound), M35, M60 to LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally... , M98, M100, M101, Bx15 buses |
||
| Bronx/Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... border |
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| 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... splits |
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| Bronx | 6.1 | Melrose Melrose (Metro-North station) The Melrose Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Melrose section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 6.1 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located in an open cut beneath Park Avenue at its intersection with East 162nd Street, six tenths of a mile from Yankee Stadium... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : Bx6, Bx13, Bx32, Bx41 buses |
|
| 7.9 | Tremont Tremont (Metro-North station) The Tremont Metro-North Railroad station serves the Tremont section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 7.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is in an open cut at the intersection of Park Avenue and East Tremont Avenue... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : Bx15, Bx36, Bx40, Bx41, Bx42, Bx55 buses |
||
| 8.9 | Fordham Fordham (Metro-North station) The Fordham Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York via the Harlem Line and New Haven Line. It is the only Harlem Line stop in the Bronx that is an express station. It is 8.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal... |
New Haven Line NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : trains; Bx1, Bx2, Bx9, Bx12, Bx12 Select Bus Service, Bx17, Bx22, Bx34, Bx41, Bx55, BxM4 buses Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... : 60, 61, 62 buses |
||
| 9.5 | Botanical Garden Botanical Garden (Metro-North station) The Botanical Garden Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Bedford Park section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : Bx26, Bx41, Bx55 buses |
||
| 10.5 | Williams Bridge Williams Bridge (Metro-North station) The Williams Bridge Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 10.5 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located at the intersection of Gun Hill Road and Webster Avenue. Service at Williams Bridge is hourly... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : trains; Bx28, Bx30, B38, Bx41, Bx55 buses |
||
| 11.8 | Woodlawn Woodlawn (Metro-North station) The Woodlawn Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Woodlawn section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 11.8 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located on East 233rd Street, three blocks from the 233rd Street station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : trains; Bx16, Bx31 buses |
||
| New Haven Line New Haven Line (Metro-North) Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.... splits |
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| 12.6 | Wakefield Wakefield (Metro-North station) The Wakefield Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Wakefield section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line, and it is the last station on the line before it crosses into Westchester County, New York. It is 12.6 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located on East 241st Street... |
NYC Transit New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City... : train |
||
| Bronx/Westchester County Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities... border |
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| Mount Vernon Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:... |
13.1 | Mount Vernon West Mount Vernon West (Metro-North station) The Mount Vernon West Metro-North Railroad station is the first station in Westchester County, New York on the Harlem Line. It is 13.1 miles from Grand Central Terminal... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
|
| 14.3 | Fleetwood Fleetwood (Metro-North station) The Fleetwood Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 14.3 miles from Grand Central Terminal.... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
||
| Bronxville Bronxville, New York Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323... |
15.3 | Bronxville Bronxville (Metro-North station) The Bronxville Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the village of Bronxville, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 15.3 miles from Grand Central Terminal.... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
|
| Tuckahoe Tuckahoe, New York Tuckahoe is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York:*Tuckahoe, Suffolk County, New York*Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York... |
16.0 | Tuckahoe Tuckahoe (Metro-North station) The Tuckahoe Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the village of Tuckahoe, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 16 miles from Grand Central Terminal.... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
|
| 16.7 | Crestwood Crestwood (Metro-North station) The Crestwood Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Crestwood, NY, which is in the city of Yonkers and the residents of the northern part of Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York via the Harlem Line. It is from Grand Central Terminal... |
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| Scarsdale Scarsdale, New York Scarsdale is a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the northern suburbs of New York City. The Town of Scarsdale is coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate solely with a village government, one of several villages... |
19.0 | Scarsdale Scarsdale (Metro-North station) The Scarsdale Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Scarsdale, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 19 miles from Grand Central Terminal. Scarsdale is the southernmost station on the two-track section of the Harlem Line; a third track begins to the south... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
|
| Hartsdale Hartsdale, New York Hartsdale is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsdale is located at .... |
20.6 | Hartsdale Hartsdale (Metro-North station) The Hartsdale Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Hartsdale, New York and Scarsdale, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 20.6 miles from Grand Central Terminal, and the average travel time varies between 42 and 48 minutes depending on if a train is local or express. The station... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
|
| White Plains White Plains, New York White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound... |
22.3 | White Plains White Plains (Metro-North station) The White Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of White Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 22.3 miles from Grand Central Terminal, and the average travel time varies between 30 and 44 minutes... |
I-BUS Connecticut Transit Connecticut Transit is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Department of Transportation. CT Transit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different metropolitan areas in the state, mostly concentrated in Hartford and New... (Stamford), Tappan Zee Express Transport of Rockland The Transport of Rockland is the bus system for Rockland County, New York, providing service along major routes in Rockland County, as well as connections to Clarkstown Mini-Trans in Clarkstown, Spring Valley Jitney in Spring Valley, the Bee-Line Bus System in Westchester as well as connections to... , Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| 23.8 | North White Plains North White Plains (Metro-North station) The North White Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of northern White Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. It is the north terminal for most trains that run local to the south and, until 1984, was the northern limit of electrification. Adjacent to the station is a yard/support... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Valhalla Valhalla, New York Valhalla is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place that is located within the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, in Westchester County. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census... |
25.5 | Valhalla Valhalla (Metro-North station) The Valhalla Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Valhalla, New York, via the Harlem Line. Trains leave or arrive approximately every 20 minutes during peak periods, hourly otherwise... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Hawthorne Hawthorne, New York Hawthorne is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York. The population was 4,586 at the 2010 census.-History:... |
27.2 | Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant (Metro-North station) The Mount Pleasant Metro-North Railroad station serves two adjacent cemeteries and an adjacent funeral home in Hawthorne, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains only stop on weekends approximately three times a day. Weekday service was discontinued completely by 1984... |
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| 28.2 | Hawthorne Hawthorne (Metro-North station) The Hawthorne Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Hawthorne, New York, via the Harlem Line. Trains leave or arrive approximately every 20 minutes during peak periods, hourly otherwise... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Pleasantville Pleasantville, New York Pleasantville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 7,019 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Pleasantville is home to a campus of Pace University and to the Jacob Burns Film Center... |
30.5 | Pleasantville Pleasantville (Metro-North station) The Pleasantville Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Pleasantville, New York, via the Harlem Line. Trains leave or arrive approximately every 20 minutes during peak periods, hourly otherwise. It is 30.5 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Chappaqua Chappaqua, New York Chappaqua is a hamlet and census-designated place in northern Westchester County, New York. As of the 2010 census, following a major revision to the delineation of its boundaries by the Census Bureau, the population was 1,436... |
32.4 | Chappaqua Chappaqua (Metro-North station) The Chappaqua Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Chappaqua, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour, and about every 20 minutes during rush hour... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Mount Kisco Mount Kisco, New York Mount Kisco is a community that is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Mount Kisco is coterminous with the village. The population was 10,877 at the 2010 census.- History :... |
36.5 | Mount Kisco Mount Kisco (Metro-North station) The Mount Kisco Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Mount Kisco, New York, USA via the Harlem Line. It is 36.5 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is 56 minutes.... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Bedford Hills Bedford Hills, New York Bedford Hills is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Bedford, New York.-History:When the railroad was built in 1847, Bedford Hills was known as Bedford Station. Bedford Hills extends from a business center at the railroad station to farms and estates, eastward along Harris, Babbitt and Bedford... |
39.2 | Bedford Hills Bedford Hills (Metro-North station) The Bedford Hills Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Bedford Hills, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 39.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour... |
Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Katonah Katonah, New York Katonah, New York is one of three unincorporated hamlets within the town of Bedford, Westchester County, New York, United States.-History:Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an American Indian from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by a group of English colonists... |
41.2 | Katonah Katonah (Metro-North station) The Katonah Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Westchester County village of Katonah, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 41.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour, six minutes.This station is located in the Zone 6... |
HART Housatonic Area Regional Transit Housatonic Area Regional Transit, known popularly as HART, is the provider of public transportation for Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding communities. HART was founded in 1972 as the Danbury-Bethel Transit District by the two municipalities. The name was changed to HART in 1979 after the... Ridgefield-Katonah Shuttle, Bee-Line Bee-Line Bus System The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc... buses |
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| Goldens Bridge | 43.7 | Golden's Bridge Golden's Bridge (Metro-North station) The Golden's Bridge Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Goldens Bridge, New York via the Harlem Line. It is from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour, nine minutes... |
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| North Salem North Salem, New York North Salem is a town in the northeast part of Westchester County, New York, United States. The county ranks second for wealthiest counties in New York State and the seventh wealthiest county nationally... |
46.0 | Purdy's Purdy's (Metro-North station) The Purdy's Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Purdy's, a hamlet in North Salem, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 46 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is 1 hour, 12 minutes.... |
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| 47.7 | Croton Falls Croton Falls (Metro-North station) The Croton Falls Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of North Salem, New York and surrounding communities via the Harlem Line. It is 47.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is 1 hour, 16 minutes.This station is located in the Zone 7... |
Coach USA Coach USA Coach USA LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service... Croton Falls Shuttle |
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| Westchester County Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities... /Putnam County Putnam County, New York Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel... border |
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| Brewster 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... |
51.9 | Brewster Brewster (Metro-North station) The Brewster Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Brewster, New York via the Harlem Line. It is the southernmost station in Putnam County. Trains leave for New York City every hour, and about every 25 minutes during rush hour... |
HART Housatonic Area Regional Transit Housatonic Area Regional Transit, known popularly as HART, is the provider of public transportation for Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding communities. HART was founded in 1972 as the Danbury-Bethel Transit District by the two municipalities. The name was changed to HART in 1979 after the... Danbury-Brewster Shuttle, PART Putnam Area Rapid Transit Putnam Transit is the provider of bus transit in Putnam County, New York. An agency of the Putnam County government, Putnam Transit came into service in the mid-1970s as a startup system in the wake of growing suburbanization of Putnam County and rising gas prices.Vehicles and routes are owned by... |
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| 53.2 | Southeast Southeast (Metro-North station) Southeast is a Metro-North Railroad station serving the residents of Southeast, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour. It is the terminus of the Harlem Line electrified service. For travel farther north to Wassaic,... |
PART Putnam Area Rapid Transit Putnam Transit is the provider of bus transit in Putnam County, New York. An agency of the Putnam County government, Putnam Transit came into service in the mid-1970s as a startup system in the wake of growing suburbanization of Putnam County and rising gas prices.Vehicles and routes are owned by... |
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| north end of Electrified rail | ||||
| Patterson Patterson, New York Patterson is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The town is in the northeast part of the county. Interstate 84 passes through the southwest part of the town. The population was 11,306 at the 2000 census. The town is named after early farmer Matthew Paterson... |
60.2 | Patterson Patterson (Metro-North station) Patterson is a Metro-North Railroad station that serves the residents of Patterson, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour... |
PART Putnam Area Rapid Transit Putnam Transit is the provider of bus transit in Putnam County, New York. An agency of the Putnam County government, Putnam Transit came into service in the mid-1970s as a startup system in the wake of growing suburbanization of Putnam County and rising gas prices.Vehicles and routes are owned by... |
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| Putnam County Putnam County, New York Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel... /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... border |
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| Pawling Pawling (village), New York Pawling is a village in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 2,233 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 Statistical Area... |
63.7 | Pawling Pawling (Metro-North station) The Pawling Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Pawling, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour... |
Dutchess LOOP Dutchess County LOOP The Dutchess County LOOP Bus System is the bus service provided by the Dutchess County Department of Mass Transit in Dutchess County, New York. LOOP provides a variety of bus services throughout Dutchess County ranging from fixed-route services, centered primarily along the Route 9 corridor,... |
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| 65.9 | Appalachian Trail Appalachian Trail (Metro-North station) The Appalachian Trail Metro-North Railroad station serves campers and hikers destined for the Appalachian Trail in Dutchess County, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains stop at Appalachian Trail on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays only. It is the only train station along the 2,175 mile length of... |
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| Wingdale | 69.0 | Harlem Valley – Wingdale | ||
| Dover Plains Dover Plains, New York Dover Plains is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,996 at the 2000 census... |
76.2 | Dover Plains Dover Plains (Metro-North station) The Dover Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Dover Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour... |
Dutchess LOOP Dutchess County LOOP The Dutchess County LOOP Bus System is the bus service provided by the Dutchess County Department of Mass Transit in Dutchess County, New York. LOOP provides a variety of bus services throughout Dutchess County ranging from fixed-route services, centered primarily along the Route 9 corridor,... |
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| Amenia | 80.0 | Tenmile River Tenmile River (Metro-North station) The Tenmile River Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Amenia, New York via the Harlem Line. About every two hours trains depart bound for Southeast which connect to trains for New York City with service to Grand Central Terminal... |
Dutchess LOOP Dutchess County LOOP The Dutchess County LOOP Bus System is the bus service provided by the Dutchess County Department of Mass Transit in Dutchess County, New York. LOOP provides a variety of bus services throughout Dutchess County ranging from fixed-route services, centered primarily along the Route 9 corridor,... |
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| 82.0 | Wassaic Wassaic (Metro-North station) The Wassaic Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Wassaic, New York as the northern terminal of the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour... |
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History
Prior to becoming part of the Metro-North system, the line continued all the way north to Chatham, New York on the Boston and Albany RailroadBoston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
, about 52 miles past the current terminal at Wassaic
Wassaic, New York
Wassaic is a hamlet in the Town of Amenia, Dutchess County, New York in the United States.Wassaic is located in southeast New York State and surrounded by the East and West Mountains and along the Tenmile River....
. Passenger service from Dover Plains
Dover Plains (Metro-North station)
The Dover Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Dover Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
to Chatham was abandoned in 1972, and the tracks were removed north of Millerton
Millerton, New York
Millerton is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 925 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...
shortly thereafter. A decade later, freight service between Dover Plains and Millerton was abandoned, with tracks removed from Wassaic to Millerton. On July 9, 2000, Metro-North restored service between Dover Plains and Wassaic, a move the railroad billed as its first service expansion since it was created in 1983.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
(MTA) leased the line south of Dover Plains from Penn Central on June 1, 1972. Penn Central operated the last southbound passenger train between Chatham and Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
on March 20, 1972, ending service in the middle of the day. With no scheduled return trip to Chatham, passengers who had gone south in the morning were left stranded, with service going only as far north as Dover Plains (52 miles shy of Chatham).
The segment of the line that ran from Wassaic to Craryville, New York
Craryville, New York
Craryville is a hamlet in Columbia County, New York, United States. Its ZIP code is 12521.-Education:The Taconic Hills Central School District operates the following schools in Craryville:* Taconic Hills High School* Taconic Hills Middle School...
is now under control of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association which currently has trails operating from Wassaic to the former Millerton station and between Under Mountain Road and Copake Falls, known as the Harlem Valley Rail Trail
Harlem Valley Rail Trail
The Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a paved rail trail on an abandoned portion of the New York and Harlem Railroad, north of the Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line terminus in Wassaic. It is owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation...
.
Improvements
Metro-North electrified the territory north of North White Plains to Southeast in 1984, which resulted in tremendous ridership growth. Prior to this, the line was operated primarily in two zones: electric south of North White Plains, and diesel through-service or RDC shuttle service north. With electrification completed, service north of Southeast is now operated as either diesel shuttle or through service. Although service to Wassaic is separately stated in the Harlem Division timetable, it is not considered branch service as it is part of the main line.Future
With the entire existing track in use since service to Wassaic was restored in 2000, there is little talk of expansion or branching. For now, Metro-North and the MTA have focused on improving existing facilities on the line, particularly stations such as Brewster where increasing usage has caused growing pains.Branches
The Harlem Line currently has no operational branches. Under New York Central ownership, it previously operated a branch to Lake Mahopac, NY to a connection with the Putnam Division. After the discontinuance of passenger service on the Putnam Division in 1958, the Central operated a shuttle service known as "around the horn" which continued on Putnam Division trackage north of Lake Mahopac to Mahopac, Carmel, and Brewster where it reconnected with the Harlem Division main line. This service lasted until 1959. The only active remnant of this branch is a wye north of Brewster station known as Putnam Junction. There are some remains of the right-of-way of the branch, including a bridge just west of the Golden's Bridge station.North of Brewster is a connection with Metro-North's Beacon Line, which was purchased by Metro-North for preservation for future use. There are currently no plans for branch service on this line, which runs north and west to Hopewell Junction, and then south and west to Beacon. It also runs east to Danbury, but a reverse move would be required.
Abandoned Stations
Unless otherwise noted, these stations were abandoned prior to Metro-North's operation of the line.Westchester County, NY
- Holland Avenue
- ThornwoodThornwood (Metro-North station)Thornwood was a station on the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad which served the residents of the hamlet of Thornwood, New York until its closure in 1984. During its existence, the station was one of the most lightly used on the Harlem Line...
(during conversion to high-level platforms/track curvature) - KensicoKensico Cemetery (Metro-North station)Kensico Cemetery was a station on the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad which served the large cemetery of the same name which the line runs through. The station was similar to the still-existent and nearby Mount Pleasant station in which it served friends and family of those buried there...
- Lincolndale (Mahopac Branch)
- Lake Mahopac (Mahopac Branch)
Putnam/Dutchess Counties
- Dykemans
- TownersTowners (NYCRR station)Towners was a station on the Harlem Line of the New York Central Railroad . It was 58 miles from Grand Central Terminal. The station was closed at some point between 1959 and 1968. No station structures remain at the site....
- Dover FurnaceDover Furnace (NYCRR station)Dover Furnace was a station on the Harlem Line of the New York Central Railroad . It was north from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The station was closed at some point between 1959 and 1968. No station structures remain at the site.- External links :*...
North of Dover Plains
Abandoned as part of 1972 Penn Central service discontinuence north of Dover Plains (service was later reinstituted to Tenmile River, aka State School, and Wassaic in 2000):- State SchoolTenmile River (Metro-North station)The Tenmile River Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Amenia, New York via the Harlem Line. About every two hours trains depart bound for Southeast which connect to trains for New York City with service to Grand Central Terminal...
- WassaicWassaic (Metro-North station)The Wassaic Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Wassaic, New York as the northern terminal of the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
- AmeniaAmenia (NYCRR station)The Amenia NYCRR train station served the residents of Amenia, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains left for New York City every two hours. It is 85 miles from Grand Central Terminal and travel time to Grand Central was approximately two hours, sixteen minutes.The station consisted of a single...
- SharonSharon (NYCRR station)Sharon is a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Amenia, New York.-History:This station served the nearby town of Sharon, Connecticut. Despite its name, Sharon Station is not actually located in Sharon, Connecticut but is located over the state border and catered to the residents...
- Coleman'sColeman's (NYCRR station)Colemans was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of North East, New York.Colemans operated primarily as a freight stop, but began accepting passengers by the late 1950s. Today it is located along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in the middle of the Coleman Station Historic District....
- MillertonMillerton (NYCRR station)Millerton was a former New York Central Railroad train station that served the residents of Millerton, New York.-Platform and track configuration:...
- Mount RigaMount Riga (NYCRR station)Mount Riga was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Ancram, New York-History:The station was located at milepost 95.81 , receiving service from not only the New York Central Railroad, but also the Central New England Railway. The station was an island platform with each...
- Boston CornersBoston Corners (NYCRR station)Boston Corners was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Ancram, New York-History:Boston Corners was the first stop of the Harlem Division in Columbia County. The site was originally known as "Boston Corner" which was located at the time in the very Southwest corner of...
- Copake FallsCopake Falls (NYCRR station)Copake Falls was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Copake, New York.-History:The station catered to a local community that was served by the New York & Harlem Railroad, later the Harlem Division of the New York Central Railroad...
- HillsdaleHillsdale (NYCRR station)Hillsdale was a former New York Central Railroad train station that served the residents of Hillsdale, New York.-History:The station catered to a local community that had a substantial industry during the era of the NYCRR. The train station was originally opened in 1905, when the New York Central...
- CraryvilleCraryville (NYCRR station)Craryville was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Hillsdale, New York.-History:The station catered to a local community that had a substantial industry during the era of the NYCRR. The train station was originally opened in 1905, when the New York Central Railroad created...
- MartindaleMartindale (NYCRR station)Martindale was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Hillsdale, New York and was the next stop on the Harlem Division after Craryville.-History:...
- PhilmontPhilmont (NYCRR station)Philmont was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Claverack, New York.-History:The station catered to a local community that had a substantial industry during the era of the NYCRR. The train station was originally opened in 1905, when the New York Central Railroad created...
- GhentGhent (NYCRR station)Ghent was a former NYCRR train station that served the residents of Ghent, New York.-History:The station catered to a local community that had a substantial industry during the era of the NYCRR. The train station was originally opened in 1905, when the New York Central Railroad created tracks up...
- ChathamChatham (NYCRR station)Union Station served the residents of Chatham, New York from 1887 to 1972 as a passenger station and until 1976 as a freight station. It was the final stop for Harlem Line trains. It had originally served trains of the Boston and Albany Railroad, then the New York Central Railroad and the Rutland...
Line description
The Harlem Line hews closely to roads along riverRiver
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
-based transportation corridors dating back to even pre-rail times. It follows three major parkway
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
s closely from the Bronx northwards through Westchester: the Bronx River Parkway
Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway is a long parkway in downstate New York. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue near Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview...
(and a short portion that becomes 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...
), the Saw Mill River Parkway
Saw Mill River Parkway
The Saw Mill River Parkway is a north–south parkway that extends for through Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins at the border between Westchester County and the Bronx, where it continues into New York City as the Henry Hudson Parkway, and heads generally...
and 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...
. In the last section it also begins to run close to NY 22
New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22 is a north–south state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the state's eastern edge from the outskirts of New York City to a short distance south of the Canadian border. At , it is the state's longest north–south route and...
, the long north-south two-lane state highway that parallels the eastern border of the state.
In Westchester, it serves some of that county's most affluent communities as it slowly trends eastward.
Manhattan/Bronx
The Harlem Line begins at Grand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
. The train tracks rise to ground level north of 97th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. After stopping at Harlem – 125th Street, the Harlem Line crosses the Harlem River at 135th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, entering the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
.
In the Bronx, the Harlem Line cuts through the neighborhoods of the southwest Bronx, with two stations: Melrose
Melrose (Metro-North station)
The Melrose Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Melrose section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 6.1 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located in an open cut beneath Park Avenue at its intersection with East 162nd Street, six tenths of a mile from Yankee Stadium...
, at 162nd Street (it then runs under the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95
Interstate 95 in New York
Interstate 95 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada – United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to the Connecticut state line at Port Chester...
) and Tremont
Tremont (Metro-North station)
The Tremont Metro-North Railroad station serves the Tremont section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 7.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is in an open cut at the intersection of Park Avenue and East Tremont Avenue...
, at 177th Street. Fordham
Fordham (Metro-North station)
The Fordham Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York via the Harlem Line and New Haven Line. It is the only Harlem Line stop in the Bronx that is an express station. It is 8.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal...
station is next, at Fordham Road (190th Street). The Harlem Line then parallels the western edge of Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
until the Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden (Metro-North station)
The Botanical Garden Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Bedford Park section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line...
station at Bedford Park Boulevard (200th Street).
The Harlem Line then cuts northeast to join the Bronx River Parkway, which lies to the east of the tracks. The Williams Bridge
Williams Bridge (Metro-North station)
The Williams Bridge Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 10.5 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located at the intersection of Gun Hill Road and Webster Avenue. Service at Williams Bridge is hourly...
station is next, at Gun Hill Road (210th Street). After the Williams Bridge station, Woodlawn Cemetery begins to the west of the tracks, with Webster Avenue in between the cemetery and tracks. The Woodlawn
Woodlawn (Metro-North station)
The Woodlawn Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Woodlawn section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line. It is 11.8 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located on East 233rd Street, three blocks from the 233rd Street station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York...
station is at 233rd Street.
The Harlem Line then goes under a bridge for the parkway, and it remains to the west of the tracks until Scarsdale
Scarsdale (Metro-North station)
The Scarsdale Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Scarsdale, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 19 miles from Grand Central Terminal. Scarsdale is the southernmost station on the two-track section of the Harlem Line; a third track begins to the south...
station. The Wakefield
Wakefield (Metro-North station)
The Wakefield Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Wakefield section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line, and it is the last station on the line before it crosses into Westchester County, New York. It is 12.6 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located on East 241st Street...
station at 241st Street concludes the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
portion of the Harlem Line.
Westchester County
The WestchesterWestchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
portion of the Harlem Line begins at Bronx River Road
Bronx River Road
Bronx River Road is a major street and neighborhood in Yonkers, New York. It runs alongside the Bronx River, Bronx River Parkway, and Metro-North railroad tracks in south-eastern Yonkers. On the other side of the Bronx River is the City of Mount Vernon, New York as well as the Bronx...
in southeastern Yonkers. After the Mount Vernon West
Mount Vernon West (Metro-North station)
The Mount Vernon West Metro-North Railroad station is the first station in Westchester County, New York on the Harlem Line. It is 13.1 miles from Grand Central Terminal...
station, the Harlem Line runs along the on-ramp to the Cross County Parkway
Cross County Parkway
The Cross County Parkway is a long parkway in Westchester County, New York. The parkway is a critical east–west connection throughout Westchester, having full interchanges with every major north–south parkway in southern Westchester, in addition to the New York State Thruway mainline....
eastbound, right before Fleetwood station. After the Bronxville
Bronxville (Metro-North station)
The Bronxville Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the village of Bronxville, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 15.3 miles from Grand Central Terminal....
station, the Harlem Line parallels the Bronx River Parkway
Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway is a long parkway in downstate New York. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue near Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview...
all the way up to White Plains
White Plains (Metro-North station)
The White Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of White Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. It is 22.3 miles from Grand Central Terminal, and the average travel time varies between 30 and 44 minutes...
.
From White Plains, the railroad winds its way through the city and passing through the yards at North White Plains
North White Plains (Metro-North station)
The North White Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of northern White Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. It is the north terminal for most trains that run local to the south and, until 1984, was the northern limit of electrification. Adjacent to the station is a yard/support...
which until 1984 was the northern boundary of third-rail electrification. The stretch north of North White Plains is unique because it is the only electrified stretch of Metro-North's network that has grade crossings, a byproduct of its existence pre-electrification. Katonah
Katonah (Metro-North station)
The Katonah Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Westchester County village of Katonah, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 41.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour, six minutes.This station is located in the Zone 6...
and Brewster are located right next to grade crossings.
After North White Plains, the next station is Valhalla
Valhalla (Metro-North station)
The Valhalla Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Valhalla, New York, via the Harlem Line. Trains leave or arrive approximately every 20 minutes during peak periods, hourly otherwise...
adjacent to the Taconic State Parkway. The double-track railroad then curves to follow the Saw Mill River
Saw Mill River
The Saw Mill River is a 20 mile long tributary of the Hudson River in the United States, flowing from a marsh in Chappaqua to Yonkers, New York, where it empties into the Hudson. Its starting point in Chappaqua is presumed to be a spring. In the 17th century, the Saw Mill River was known as...
Valley and the eponymous parkway. Rail and road briefly separate at Mount Kisco
Mount Kisco (Metro-North station)
The Mount Kisco Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Mount Kisco, New York, USA via the Harlem Line. It is 36.5 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is 56 minutes....
, but then remain close by at the last stop along the Saw Mill, Bedford Hills
Bedford Hills (Metro-North station)
The Bedford Hills Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Bedford Hills, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 39.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour...
(although the parkway cannot be seen from the station).
Past Katonah
Katonah (Metro-North station)
The Katonah Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Westchester County village of Katonah, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 41.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour, six minutes.This station is located in the Zone 6...
, the railroad runs between the Croton River
Croton River
The Croton River is a river in southern New York that begins where the East and West Branches of the Croton River meet a little way downstream from the Croton Falls Reservoir...
and I-684. Golden's Bridge
Golden's Bridge (Metro-North station)
The Golden's Bridge Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Goldens Bridge, New York via the Harlem Line. It is from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is one hour, nine minutes...
and Purdy's
Purdy's (Metro-North station)
The Purdy's Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Purdy's, a hamlet in North Salem, New York, via the Harlem Line. It is 46 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is 1 hour, 12 minutes....
are both located very close to the interstate, although only the former can be seen from it. North of the latter, the tracks follow the river to Croton Falls
Croton Falls (Metro-North station)
The Croton Falls Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of North Salem, New York and surrounding communities via the Harlem Line. It is 47.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time to Grand Central is 1 hour, 16 minutes.This station is located in the Zone 7...
, and pick up Route 22 for the first time.
Putnam County
After Croton Falls station, the Harlem Line runs along East Branch ReservoirEast Branch Reservoir
East Branch Reservoir, formed by impounding the eponymous branch of the Croton River, is part of New York City's water supply network. It is located in the Putnam County town of Southeast, near the village of Brewster 35 miles north of the city....
and crosses into Putnam County. The landscape is increasingly rural. Above Southeast
Southeast (Metro-North station)
Southeast is a Metro-North Railroad station serving the residents of Southeast, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour. It is the terminus of the Harlem Line electrified service. For travel farther north to Wassaic,...
station (formerly Brewster North), the railroad passes under Interstate 84
Interstate 84 in New York
Interstate 84 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the Eastern United States. In New York, I-84 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster...
and through the yards at Putnam Junction. This is the northern boundary of third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
electrification. Diesel territory and single track begins here. The track finally follow its own course, away from any road or river, past the long-abandoned Towners station up to Patterson
Patterson (Metro-North station)
Patterson is a Metro-North Railroad station that serves the residents of Patterson, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
and into Dutchess County.
Dutchess County
Shortly before reaching PawlingPawling (Metro-North station)
The Pawling Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Pawling, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
, the line enters the Harlem Valley from which it takes its name and begins to parallel Route 22, although not as closely as it did the roads further south. A few miles north of Pawling the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The 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...
crossing has earned its own
Appalachian Trail (Metro-North station)
The Appalachian Trail Metro-North Railroad station serves campers and hikers destined for the Appalachian Trail in Dutchess County, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains stop at Appalachian Trail on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays only. It is the only train station along the 2,175 mile length of...
flag stop
Request stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
to allow thru-hikers
Thru-hiking
Thru-hiking is the process of hiking a long-distance trail from end to end. The term is most commonly associated with the Appalachian Trail, but is also used for other lengthy trails and long distance hikes, including the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. Thru-hiking is also...
to take a break in the city and day hikers to visit the nearby Pawling Nature Preserve
Pawling Nature Preserve
The Pawling Nature Reserve is located in the northern section of the Town of Pawling, New York, United States. It is a area located along the top of Hammersby Ridge, near Quaker Lake owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy....
.
The next two stops, Harlem Valley – Wingdale and Dover Plains
Dover Plains (Metro-North station)
The Dover Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Dover Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
, are roughly eight miles (13 km) apart, the longest distance between any two stops on the Harlem Line. Until 2000, Dover Plains was the last stop on the line, but then tracks remaining from the NYCRR era that had not yet been torn up were renovated and the line was extended to Tenmile River
Tenmile River (Metro-North station)
The Tenmile River Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Amenia, New York via the Harlem Line. About every two hours trains depart bound for Southeast which connect to trains for New York City with service to Grand Central Terminal...
and its new northern terminus, Wassaic
Wassaic (Metro-North station)
The Wassaic Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Wassaic, New York as the northern terminal of the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
. A small yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
where diesel trains await their routes just past the station marks the end of the line.
Rolling stock
On the electrified portions of the line, M3s and M7M7 (railcar)
The M7 is an electric multiple unit railroad car built by Bombardier, with delivery beginning in 2002.The cars were ordered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad . The M7 replaced the M1 railcars, which had previously provided electric...
s are usually used. As with the Hudson Line, diesel-powered trains are driven by dual-mode Genesis
GE Genesis
GE Genesis is a series of passenger locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Electric...
and BL20-GH locomotives, paired with Shoreliner coaches. While some peak-period trains operate directly to and from Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, most Harlem Line diesel-only territory is operated as shuttle service between Southeast (where electrification ends) and Wassaic, 29 miles north in Dutchess County.
External links
- Route on OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...
- New York Central: Harlem Line