New Haven Line
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Metro-North's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York on the Harlem Line, where New Haven Line trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Northeast of New Rochelle, New York it is also part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, but it is owned by Metro-North. The line was formerly part of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (the New York and New Haven Railroad until 1872), which had trackage rights over the New York Central Railroad's New York and Harlem Railroad into Grand Central. From west to east, three branches split into the New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch.
Penn Central, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the states of New York and Connecticut signed an agreement November 25, 1969 for New York to buy the section of the line in that state and Connecticut to lease their section (to New Haven).[3] The actual acquisition took place on January 1, 1971, and included the three branches.[4]
Contents |
[edit] On the Drawing Board
As of 2006, plans were being discussed to build Metro-North stations in West Haven and Orange. The stretch between Milford and New Haven, passing through those two municipalities, is the longest on the New Haven Line without a station. The South Central Regional Council of Governments commissioned a study, issued in April 2005, that showed that stations in both municipalities would be viable, but favoring West Haven.[5] The Transportation Strategy Board made a similar recommendation.[6] Gov. M. Jodi Rell later included money for both in the state budget, with West Haven again given priority.[7] Whether stations actually will be built in either town was not certain as of January 2007.
A third station in Fairfield is currently under construction. It will most likely be called Fairfield Metro Center.
[edit] Multiple Unit Equipment
Since most of the main line and the New Canaan Branch is equipped with 12.5 kV 60 Hz overhead catenary, as opposed to just the 750V DC third-rail of the Hudson and Harlem Lines, different rolling stock that can operate off either power system runs on the New Haven Line. This rolling stock, originally produced by the Budd Company in two batches (144 in 1972-73 and 100 in 1975-77) was initially branded as the M2 Cosmopolitan with later versions being made on license by Tokyu Car (model M4, 1988) and Morrison-Knudsen (model M6, 1993). Cosmopolitans can be easily spotted by their red stripe along the side, the presence of pantographs on the lead cars in each set, and a dynamic braking grid on the roof.
All New Haven Line electric trains change over between third rail and catenary between Mount Vernon East and Pelham, at speed. Inbound trains to Grand Central Terminal lower their pantographs in this area, while outbound trains raise them; the third rail shoes stay in the same position both in and out of third rail territory. Both catenary and third rail overlap for a quarter of a mile between Mount Vernon East and Pelham to facilitate this changeover.
Most of the M2's are slated for retirement in 2009–2010 when the Kawasaki-made M8 enters service.
[edit] History
The rail line from New York to New Haven was completed by 1849. Commuters started using the trains soon afterward. In the early twentieth century the line was electrified and steam locomotives replaced.[8]
The Great Blizzard of 1888 blocked the rail line in Westport, between the Saugatuck and Greens Farms stations. The snow was dug out by hand, taking eight days to restore the service.[8]
Some fatal train accidents occurred on the line. One occurred at the Norwalk River bridge in Norwalk, Connecticut on May 6, 1855. Another occurred in Westport, Connecticut in 1895, and another in that town on October 3, 1912.[8] Another fatality occurred in August 1969 on the New Canaan branch.
[edit] Station stops
| State | County | Town/City | Milepost | Station | Fare Zone | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | New York | Manhattan | 0.0 | Grand Central Terminal | 1 | NYC Transit 4, 5, 6, 7, Times Square Shuttle, M42, M101, M102, M103, M104 |
| 4.2 | Harlem-125th Street | 1 | NYC Transit 4, 5, 6, Buses Bx15, M60, M100, M101 | |||
| Bronx | Bronx | Hudson Line splits | ||||
| Melrose and Tremont stations are bypassed | ||||||
| 8.9 | Fordham Limited |
2 | NYC Transit B, D, Buses Bx9, Bx12, Bx15, Bx17, Bx41, Bx55 Bee-Line: 60, 61, 62, 90 |
|||
| Botanical Garden, Williams Bridge, and Woodlawn stations are bypassed | ||||||
| Harlem Line splits; Power change from Third Rail to Catenary |
||||||
| Westchester | Mount Vernon | 14.0 | Mount Vernon East | 12 | Bee-Line: 7, 40, 41, 42, 53, 54, 55 | |
| Pelham | 15.1 | Pelham | 12 | Bee-Line: 7 | ||
| New Rochelle | Line joins Northeast Corridor | |||||
| 16.6 | New Rochelle | Amtrak Regional Bee-Line: 7, 30, 42, 45, 60, 61, 62, 66 |
||||
| Larchmont | 18.7 | Larchmont | 13 | Bee-Line: 60, 61, 70, 71 | ||
| Mamaroneck | 20.5 | Mamaroneck | 13 | Bee-Line: 60, 61 | ||
| Harrison | 22.2 | Harrison | 13 | Bee-Line: 5, 61 | ||
| Rye | 24.1 | Rye | 14 | Bee-Line: 61, 75, 76 | ||
| Port Chester | 25.7 | Port Chester | 14 | Bee-Line: 13, 61, 76 CT Transit Stamford: 11 |
||
| Connecticut | Fairfield | Greenwich | 28.1 | Greenwich | 15 | Norwalk Transit: Greenwich Commuter Connection CT Transit Stamford: 11 |
| 29.6 | Cos Cob | 15 | ||||
| 30.2 | Riverside | 15 | ||||
| 31.2 | Old Greenwich | 15 | CT Transit Stamford: 11, 24 | |||
| Stamford | 33.0 | Stamford | 16 | Amtrak Acela Express, Regional and Vermonter Shore Line East CT Transit Stamford: All routes Greyhound Uconn Shuttle |
||
| New Canaan Branch splits | ||||||
| Darien | 36.2 | Noroton Heights | 16 | CT Transit Stamford: 42 | ||
| 37.7 | Darien | 16 | CT Transit Stamford: 41, 42 | |||
| Norwalk | 39.2 | Rowayton | 16 | |||
| 41.0 | South Norwalk | 17 | Norwalk Transit: 10, 11, 12, Commuter Connection | |||
| Danbury Branch splits | ||||||
| 42.0 | East Norwalk | 17 | Norwalk Transit: 8, 11 | |||
| Westport | 44.2 | Westport | 18 | Norwalk Transit: Jesup Green shuttle, S2, S3, S4, IL, N, PF | ||
| 47.2 | Green's Farms | 18 | Norwalk Transit: G1, G2 | |||
| Fairfield | 48.9 | Southport | 18 | |||
| 50.5 | Fairfield | 18 | GBTA: 2, Coastal Link | |||
| Fairfield Metro Center (under construction) |
||||||
| Bridgeport | 55.4 | Bridgeport | 19 | Amtrak Regional and Vermonter Shore Line East Coastal Link; GBTA: All routes except 14; Greyhound |
||
| Stratford | 59.0 | Stratford | 20 | GBTA: 11 | ||
| New Haven | Milford | Waterbury Branch splits | ||||
| 63.2 | Milford | 20 | Milford Transit: 2, 3, 4 CT Transit New Haven: J7; Coastal Link |
|||
| New Haven | 72.3 | New Haven-Union Station | 21 | Amtrak Acela Express, Regional and Vermonter Shore Line East CT Transit New Haven: Commuter Connection PM dropoff, Temple Street Garage Shuttle, J, S Greyhound |
||
| 74.0 | New Haven-State Street | 21 | Shore Line East CT Transit New Haven: Commuter Connection AM pickup, D, F, G, Q, Z |
|||
[edit] Pictures
 Bridge over Housatonic River, Bridgeport, ca. 1904 |
 Bridgeport station, 26 April 2006 |
 Green's Farms station, Westport |
 Westport/Saugatuck station |
 East Norwalk station |
 Swing railroad bridge, Norwalk |
 Swing bridge in Norwalk, longer view |
 South Norwalk station, New Haven bound side |
 Stamford station |
 Cos Cob station |
 Arch Street bridge in Old Greenwich |
 Riverside station and Riverside Avenue bridge |
 Train at Norton Heights in Darien, CT |
 Train at Stamford, CT |
 Crossing of Mill River, just east of Stamford station |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Metro-North's new passenger yard and facilities in New Haven DW Jacobs Retrieved 2007-09-08
- ^ Total monthly ridership State of Connecticut official site Retrieved 2007-09-03
- ^ [1] Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society 1969 chronology
- ^ [2] Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society 1971 chronology
- ^ [3] Regional Transit Development Strategies Study, Strategies Evaluation Report, April 2005. See page 68 et seq.
- ^ Report & Recommendations of the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board See page 129
- ^ "$11M set for Metro-North stations in W. Haven, Orange," New Haven Register, August 29, 2006
- ^ a b c Westport Historical Society, interpreteve plaque, Westport Historical Society Museum, Carriage House, read September 30, 2007
[edit] External links
- Metro-North Railroad official site
- Amateur photos along the New Haven Line (from a train)
- New Haven line photos (passing it by I-95 highway)
- Fix My Station Photo Campaign
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
