New York Connecting Railroad
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The New York Connecting Railroad (AAR reporting marks NYCN) or NYCR is a rail line in the borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pacific Railway, Providence and Worcester Railroad and New York and Atlantic Railway currently use the line. It runs from the Hell Gate Bridge over the East River to Fresh Pond Yard in Glendale. It was completed in 1916. Amtrak uses the northernmost section of the line from Sunnyside Junction (Bowery Bay) in the Woodside section of Queens to the Hell Gate Bridge into the Bronx from which it follows the line north to Boston.
Amtrak owns the line north of Sunnyside Junction, which forms part of the Northeast Corridor. South of this point, CSX is the owner.
The line begins at the Hell Gate Bridge over the East River. This is a massive span, a main span of 1,017 feet (310 m) and a total length of over 17,000 feet (5.2 km). Continuing south the line is on a high-level elevated viaduct, over Astoria and Interstate 278 (Grand Central Parkway). The line then is on an embankment and Sunnyside Junction, where Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line branches off, is here. The line heads south and parallels Interstate 278 (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) for a distance. This portion of the line was completely rebuilt in 2002. Now in the section of Elmhurst, the NYCR passes under several streets in a cut. An arched concrete viaduct over Queens Boulevard is followed by street overpasses under cut and overpasses over streets as well in Maspeth. After crossing under the Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) and passing a few cemeteries, the line reach Fresh Pond Yard. This is the main facility for shipping freight by rail in and out of New York City and Long Island. New York and Atlantic Railway's main offices are here. CSX and CP also interchange freight with New York Atlantic Railway here.
South of Fresh Pond, the line continues south as Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) Bay Ridge Branch.
The line is 3 tracks north of Sunnyside Junction and 1 track south of this point (with 2-track sections in some areas).
CSX and Canadian Pacific serve the line with 1-2 daily round trips, the latter using the Oak Point Link. Providence and Worcester runs service in the summer.
The line was dedicated on March 9, 1917 by Samuel Rea and Gustav Lindenthal. A special train took the directors of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad over the line on March 25, 1917, and at that time it was turned over to the New Haven for operation, though the Southern Division (freight-only) was not completed yet. Passenger service began April 1, with the return of the Federal Express and the rerouting of two local trains. The Colonial Express began using it April 30, resulting in the first accident on the NYCR on August 20, 1917. Through freights to Bay Ridge began January 17, 1918, and the final work was completed August 7, 1918.
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