Everything about Hudson Line Metro-north totally explained
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Metro-North Railroad's
Hudson Line is a
commuter rail line running north from
New York City along the east shore of the
Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at
Poughkeepsie, with
Amtrak's
Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond
Albany. The line was originally the
Hudson River Railroad (and the
Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad south of
Spuyten Duyvil), and later part of the famous Water Level Route of the
New York Central Railroad.
The
Croton-Harmon station divides the two segments of the line. South of there, it's
electrified, with a
third rail, where it serves
suburban stations located more closely together. Most of the electrified zone is served by four tracks, usually two express and two local tracks in each direction. In some sections, there are only three tracks.
North of Croton-Harmon, the line is mostly double-tracked, with a few three-track areas. The diesel trains that run to the more separated stops between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie are generally express routes that skip most of the lower stations. From just north of
Spuyten Duyvil to the end of the line, the Hudson Line is shared with
Amtrak's various routes up the river.
Metro-North is planning to build a new station to handle traffic for the
new Yankee Stadium, which is projected to open in 2009.
(External Link
)
Since the tracks continue north of Poughkeepsie, there have, over the years, been various proposals from both the
MTA (Metro-North's parent agency), to extend service northwards. Most have been scotched after strong opposition from residents of northern
Dutchess County, who fear the effect on their still largely-rural communities that being within an easy rail commute of
midtown Manhattan would have. However, Poughkeepsie-area commuters have supported such plans since they'd ease pressure on that station. As recently as January 2007, supervisors of some towns north of Poughkeepsie have expressed new interest in extending rail service.
(External Link)
History
The
Metropolitan Transportation Authority leased the line south of Poughkeepsie from
Penn Central on
June 1,
1972.
(External Link)
Station stops
| State |
Locality |
Milepost |
Station |
Connections |
| New York |
Manhattan |
0.0 |
Grand Central Terminal |
NYC Transit: 4, 5, 6, 7, 42 Street Shuttle, M42, M101, M102, M103, M104 |
| 4.2 |
Harlem-125th Street |
NYC Transit: 4, 5, 6, M60, M100, M101, Bx15 |
| Manhattan/Bronx border |
| Bronx |
8.1 |
Morris Heights |
NYC Transit: Bx18, Bx40, Bx42 |
| 8.7 |
University Heights |
NYC Transit: Bx12 |
| 9.8 |
Marble Hill |
NYC Transit: 1, Bx7, Bx9, Bx20 |
| 11.1 |
Spuyten Duyvil |
Hudson Rail Link |
| 13.0 |
Riverdale |
Hudson Rail Link |
| Bronx/Westchester County border |
| Yonkers |
14.3 |
Ludlow |
Bee-Line: 32 |
| 15.1 |
Yonkers |
Bee-Line: 6, 9, 23, 25 |
| 16.2 |
Glenwood |
|
| 17.8 |
Greystone |
|
| Hastings-on-Hudson |
19.5 |
Hastings-on-Hudson |
|
| Dobbs Ferry |
20.7 |
Dobbs Ferry |
Bee-Line: 66 |
| Irvington |
21.7 |
Ardsley-on-Hudson |
|
| 22.7 |
Irvington |
| Tarrytown |
25.2 |
Tarrytown |
Tappan Zee Express, Bee-Line: 1T, 13, T |
| Sleepy Hollow |
26.5 |
Philipse Manor |
| Scarborough |
29.5 |
Scarborough |
| Ossining |
30.8 |
Ossining |
Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry, Bee-Line: 13, 19 |
| Croton-on-Hudson |
33.2 |
Croton-Harmon |
Bee-Line: 10, 11, 14 |
| Electrified rail ends northbound, begins southbound |
| Cortlandt Manor |
38.4 |
Cortlandt |
Bee-Line: 14 |
| Peekskill |
41.2 |
Peekskill |
Bee-Line: 16, 18 |
| Westchester County/Putnam County border |
| Manitou |
46.0 |
Manitou |
| Garrison |
49.9 |
Garrison |
| Cold Spring |
52.5 |
Cold Spring |
|
| Putnam County/Dutchess County border |
| Town of Fishkill |
55.0 |
Breakneck Ridge |
| Beacon |
59.0 |
Beacon |
Dutchess LOOP: 3, 3B, 41 Newburgh-Beacon Shuttle,
Newburgh-Beacon Ferry |
| New Hamburg |
65.0 |
New Hamburg |
Dutchess LOOP: 31, 32 |
| Poughkeepsie |
73.5 |
Poughkeepsie |
Dutchess LOOP: 11, 12, 21, 22, City of Poughkeepsie Transit
Poughkeepsie-New Paltz Shuttle |
| Line continues northward as CSX's Hudson Subdivision |
Line description
Despite its name, the Hudson Line doesn't reach the river until it has gone 11 miles (18 km) and six stations from
Grand Central. Once along the river, however, the view is nearly constant, with it visible much of the way to Poughkeepsie. It is one of the more scenic routes of any commuter train.
Manhattan and the Bronx
Once past
125th Street and over the
Harlem River, the Hudson Line departs from the track shared with the
Harlem and
New Haven lines, passing first the employee-only
Highbridge stop as it follows the river northward and, at first, the
Major Deegan Expressway.
Morris Heights, the first real station, offers convenient access to
Roberto Clemente State Park between the tracks and the river as the line follows a remaining section of the
New York and Putnam Railroad.
A new
Yankee Stadium Station is planned south of
University Heights. Between University Heights and
Marble Hill, a spur of track, all that remains at this end of the "Old Put", splits off to the north. It is used by the commuter railroad for storage and repair of maintenance-of-way vehicles.
Marble Hill, technically in Manhattan despite being on the mainland, is an express stop and sees quite a bit of traffic since it offers an easy transfer to the
IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the
New York City Subway at the
Marble Hill–225th Street station. The subway is elevated over
Broadway at this point. With the MNRR tracks down by the river requiring those detraining to climb stairs to street level, it's a rare instance where a commuter rail line is below a subway in elevation at a station or station where transfers are possible.
A short curve away brings the trains to
Spuyten Duyvil and its far lengther stairs to the street. Just past the station, the track rejoins the original Hudson River Railroad, shared with
Amtrak, and after one more stop at
Riverdale is out of the city.
Westchester County
The
Palisades present themselves across the river as trains pass through the city of
Yonkers and its four stops, mostly local. Some express trains do stop at the recently-renovated
Yonkers station, the first where a transfer to Amtrak (northbound only) is possible.
Smaller, local-only suburban stations are passed as the
Tappan Zee Bridge looms to the north and the river widens. Finally, between
Ardsley and
Tarrytown, it passes overhead.
Rockland County fades to almost three miles (4.8 km) away across
Haverstraw Bay. But after passing through
Sing Sing prison, the train reaches
Ossining, where a ferry brings travelers across the wide river.
Electric trains end their runs one stop beyond, at
Croton-Harmon, a sprawling, modern terminal shared again with Amtrak just south of Harmon Yard and east of
Croton Point. The tracks veer inland, closely following
US 9, to the next and newest stop,
Cortlandt, the only non-New York City station on the line where the Hudson River can't be seen.
It reappears dramatically at
Peekskill, the last stop in the county, where the
Bear Mountain Bridge can be seen to the north.
Putnam and Dutchess Counties
North of Peekskill the river abruptly narrows as the
Hudson Highlands begin.
Dunderberg and
Bear mountains can be seen across the river. The train passes through two short tunnels, one under the
Bear Mountain Bridge abutment.
Putnam County's first station,
Manitou, is a
flag stop serving a small hamlet. Just north of
Garrison, there's another tunnel and then a wide panorama of the stone buildings of
West Point; the quaint riverside village of
Cold Spring is the next stop, last in the county.
The
Dutchess County line is crossed in a pair of 842-foot (257 m) tunnels under
Breakneck Ridge at Breakneck Point; across the river
Storm King looms. The
Breakneck Ridge flag stop marks the end of the Highlands as the river once again broadens around
Newburgh Bay. At
Beacon, a stop that has become more popular since the opening of the art museum nearby,
ferry service is available during peak hours to
Newburgh, whose skyline dominates the view across the river, and shortly after leaving the train passes under the
Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.
Just upriver is
New Hamburg, a hamlet of the Town of Poughkeepsie and a station closed in the NYCRR days but eventually reopened. The last 8.5 miles to Poughkeepsie's ornate, recently renovated station, highlighted by the vast
Tilcon quarry, is the longest distance between any two stations on a Metro-North main line.
Rolling stock
Electric service from and to Croton-Harmon uses the standard M3 and M7 multiple units seen on the Metro-North Harlem line and the
Long Island Rail Road. 30 M1s remain in use, and can also appear in service on the Hudson line. Diesel trains are headed by
Genesis P32AC-DMs. Since turning the locomotives around at either end of the line would be extremely cumbersome and time-consuming, trains use
push-pull operation, with the locomotive usually on the north end of the train. They usually pull/push six or seven Shoreliner passenger cars, with a cab car at the southern end of the train.
The Genesises are mostly in Metro-North's sedate silver-and-blue colors, but sometimes the more striking red, black and white scheme inherited from the
New York and New Haven Railroad can be seen as equipment on the line is pooled with
ConnDOT, whose red-striped
passenger coaches are also in wide use on the Hudson Line. The Genesises will receive a new paint scheme this year.
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