Post Road Branch
Encyclopedia
The Post Road Branch is a railroad line owned and operated by Amtrak
in the U.S. state
of New York
. The line runs from a junction with CSX Transportation
's Berkshire Subdivision
in Schodack northwest to CSX's Hudson Subdivision
at Rensselaer (near Albany) along a former New York Central Railroad
line. Freight service is provided by CSX, who calls it the Post Road Subdivision, via trackage rights
.
Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited
operates over the Post Road Branch.
and New York Central through leases and mergers. With the opening of the Hudson River Connecting Railroad in 1924, it became a minor branch, with through freight using the new Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
around Albany. On April 30, 1972, Penn Central Transportation
removed the track on the Post Road Branch, forcing passenger trains to make a reverse movement along the current Schodack Subdivision
. The abandoned line was assigned to Amtrak in the 1976 formation of Conrail, and Amtrak reopened it on October 28, 1979 with Conrail trackage rights
for freight. These rights were assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail.
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...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The line runs from a junction with CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Berkshire Subdivision
Berkshire Subdivision
The Berkshire Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and New York. The line runs from near Springfield, Massachusetts west to Schodack, New York along a former New York Central Railroad line. Its east end is in Wilbraham, east of Springfield,...
in Schodack northwest to CSX's Hudson Subdivision
Hudson Subdivision
The Hudson Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Poughkeepsie north along the east shore of the Hudson River to Rensselaer and northwest via Albany and Schenectady to Hoffmans along a former New York Central Railroad line...
at Rensselaer (near Albany) along a former New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
line. Freight service is provided by CSX, who calls it the Post Road Subdivision, via trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
.
Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited
Lake Shore Limited
The Lake Shore Limited is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The train runs between Chicago and Albany, NY, where it divides into two sections that provide thru-service to New York and Boston...
operates over the Post Road Branch.
History
The Albany and West Stockbridge Railroad opened the line in 1842 as part of a line between Boston and Albany. The line became part of 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...
and New York Central through leases and mergers. With the opening of the Hudson River Connecting Railroad in 1924, it became a minor branch, with through freight using the new Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
The Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge is a railroad bridge spanning the Hudson River at Castleton-on-Hudson and Selkirk, New York in the United States....
around Albany. On April 30, 1972, Penn Central Transportation
Penn Central Transportation
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...
removed the track on the Post Road Branch, forcing passenger trains to make a reverse movement along the current Schodack Subdivision
Schodack Subdivision
The Schodack Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Stuyvesant north to Schodack along a former New York Central Railroad line. At its south end, it merges with the Hudson Subdivision; its north end is at a junction with the...
. The abandoned line was assigned to Amtrak in the 1976 formation of Conrail, and Amtrak reopened it on October 28, 1979 with Conrail trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
for freight. These rights were assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail.