Manhattan Railway
Encyclopedia
The Manhattan Railway was an elevated railway
company in Manhattan
and the Bronx
, New York City
, United States
.
It operated four lines
, incorporated in April 1902 as the operating company for the first subway, leased the Manhattan Railway on April 1, 1903, over a year before the subway opened.
Finally, after 60 or more years of service, and after having operated under a series of companies and jurisdictions, mainly the IRT, the successor to the Manhattan Railway, the elevated lines began to disappear, with the first line closing in 1938, and the final section closing in 1973:
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
company 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...
and 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...
, New York City
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It operated four lines
- Second Avenue Line
- Third Avenue Line
- Sixth Avenue Line
- Ninth Avenue Line
History
By the late 1870s, the elevated railways in Manhattan were operated by two companies - the Metropolitan Elevated Railway (Sixth Avenue) and New York Elevated Railroad (Third and Ninth Avenues). The Metropolitan also began constructing a line in Second Avenue. The Manhattan Railway was chartered on on December 29, 1875, and leased both companies on May 20, 1879. The Suburban Rapid Transit Company, operating the Third Avenue Line in the Bronx, was leased on June 4, 1891; all three companies were eventually merged into the Manhattan Railway. The Interborough Rapid Transit CompanyInterborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
, incorporated in April 1902 as the operating company for the first subway, leased the Manhattan Railway on April 1, 1903, over a year before the subway opened.
Finally, after 60 or more years of service, and after having operated under a series of companies and jurisdictions, mainly the IRT, the successor to the Manhattan Railway, the elevated lines began to disappear, with the first line closing in 1938, and the final section closing in 1973:
- service on the Sixth Avenue Line ended in 1938.
- the Ninth Avenue Line south of 155th Street was closed in 1940, while the section from 155th Street north into the Bronx was continued as the "Polo Grounds Shuttle" until 1958.
- the final section of the Second Avenue Line closed in 1942.
- service on the Manhattan section of the Third Avenue Line was phased out in the early 50s and ended in 1955, while the service on the Bronx section terminated in 1973.