Selkirk Subdivision
Encyclopedia
The Selkirk Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation
in the U.S. State
of New York
. The line runs from Selkirk northwest to Amsterdam along a former New York Central Railroad
line. At its southeast end, at Selkirk Yard
, the Selkirk Subdivision becomes the Castleton Subdivision
. Its northwest end is at the east end of the Mohawk Subdivision, and it junctions the Carman Subdivision
at Rotterdam and the Hudson Subdivision
at Hoffmans.
Amtrak
's Empire Service
, Lake Shore Limited
, and Maple Leaf operate over the Selkirk Subdivision northwest of Hoffmans.
(near Selkirk Yard) and Fullers
. The line from Fullers northwest to near Pattersonville opened in 1884 as part of the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway. The Hoffmans Connection across the Hudson River between Pattersonville and Hoffmans opened in 1900, and the final piece, from Unionville southeast to Selkirk Yard, was opened in 1924 by the Hudson River Connecting Railroad. With this final opening, the Selkirk Subdivision became a bypass of Albany for traffic between the west and either Boston or New York City
. The entire line became part of the New York Central and Conrail through leases, mergers, and takeovers, and was assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail. (Prior to the breakup, Conrail's Selkirk Branch ran from the Hudson Subdivision
in Stuyvesant north and west along what are now known as the Schodack Subdivision
and Castleton Subdivision
before reaching the current Selkirk Subdivision, and ended at Hoffmans.)
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...
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 Selkirk northwest to Amsterdam 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. At its southeast end, at Selkirk Yard
Selkirk Yard
Selkirk Yard is a large freight railroad yard located in Selkirk, New York, about 8 miles south of Albany. The yard is owned by CSX Transportation, and is its major classification yard for the northeast United States and the gateway to points east of the Hudson River, including New York City. It is...
, the Selkirk Subdivision becomes the Castleton Subdivision
Castleton Subdivision
The Castleton Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Schodack northwest to Selkirk along a former New York Central Railroad line. At its southeast end, it junctions with the Berkshire Subdivision and Schodack...
. Its northwest end is at the east end of the Mohawk Subdivision, and it junctions the Carman Subdivision
Carman Subdivision
The Carman Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line is located in and near Schenectady along a former New York Central Railroad line...
at Rotterdam and the 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 Hoffmans.
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...
's Empire Service
Empire Service (Amtrak)
The Empire Service is a train service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service along the 460-mile Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls, New York...
, 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...
, and Maple Leaf operate over the Selkirk Subdivision northwest of Hoffmans.
History
The oldest piece of the Selkirk Subdivision is that northwest of Hoffmans, opened in 1836 by the Utica and Schenectady Railroad. The Saratoga and Hudson River Railroad opened in 1866 from Schenectady to Athens, including the current Selkirk Subdivision between UnionvilleUnionville, New York
Unionville is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 536 at the 2000 census, making it by far the smallest village in Orange County and one of the smallest in New York State...
(near Selkirk Yard) and Fullers
Fullers, New York
Fullers is a hamlet in the town of Guilderland, Albany County, New York. The hamlet lies along US Route 20 .-History:Fullers owes its origins, name, and early growth to the Fuller family...
. The line from Fullers northwest to near Pattersonville opened in 1884 as part of the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway. The Hoffmans Connection across the Hudson River between Pattersonville and Hoffmans opened in 1900, and the final piece, from Unionville southeast to Selkirk Yard, was opened in 1924 by the Hudson River Connecting Railroad. With this final opening, the Selkirk Subdivision became a bypass of Albany for traffic between the west and either Boston or 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...
. The entire line became part of the New York Central and Conrail through leases, mergers, and takeovers, and was assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail. (Prior to the breakup, Conrail's Selkirk Branch ran from the 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...
in Stuyvesant north and west along what are now known as the 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...
and Castleton Subdivision
Castleton Subdivision
The Castleton Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Schodack northwest to Selkirk along a former New York Central Railroad line. At its southeast end, it junctions with the Berkshire Subdivision and Schodack...
before reaching the current Selkirk Subdivision, and ended at Hoffmans.)