65th Street Yard
| Company type | Rail yard |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail freight transportation |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
Area served | Port of New York and New Jersey |
| Products | Rail car float transfer services |
| Owner | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
The 65th Street Yard, frequently referred to as the Bay Ridge Rail Yard, is a rail yard situated on the shores of Upper New York Bay within the neighborhoods of Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. This facility is outfitted with two transfer bridges designed for transferring rail cars onto car floats, representing the sole remaining car float operation active in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Positioned next to the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the yard played a crucial role in the city's freight rail system during the early 1900s. Subsequently, it functioned as a traditional rail yard at the terminus of the LIRR/NY&A Bay Ridge Branch. Although the transfer bridges were reconstructed in 1999, they did not become operational until July 2012.
History
Initially managed by the New Haven Railroad, the yard was equipped with four electrically powered Overhead Suspension Contained Apron type car float bridges, each named "Abie," "Benny," "Charlie," and "Davy." Between the 1920s and 1950s, these bridges facilitated movement of over 1,000 rail cars daily. Following a decline in usage, operations ceased in 1968 after New Haven merged into Penn Central (PC), which led to the termination of float services. The original transfer bridges were dismantled during the 1970s.
Around 1978, the New York Dock Railway installed a pontoon-supported pony plate girder float bridge, relocated from Manhattan’s West 28th Street Yard. Known as the Brooklyn Army Terminal float bridge (BAT), this structure remained in use until approximately 1990 to maintain rail access throughout reconstruction on First Avenue. Remnants of this bridge are still present near the yard.
In 1981, ownership of the site transferred to New York City and State for $2.5 million. Subsequently, in 1999, new transfer bridges were constructed at a cost of $20 million. The updated design incorporated a streamlined single two-track span featuring an overhead gantry with an electrically controlled hoist, inspired by West Coast models and improvements over Manhattan’s 207th Street Yard bridge. Despite this investment, these bridges stayed inactive because New York Cross Harbor Railroad, which succeeded previous operators, abandoned relocation plans amid financial disagreements.
The New York Cross Harbor Railroad managed car float services between Greenville Yard in Jersey City and Brooklyn. In 2006, Mid Atlantic New England Rail, LLC acquired this operation and rebranded it as New York New Jersey Rail, LLC (NYNJ). Two years later, in 2008, ownership passed to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which committed $118.1 million toward revitalizing the rail car float system connecting Greenville and Brooklyn yards, including purchasing Greenville Yard itself.
The yard resumed operations in July 2012 with one transfer bridge active; car float activities were transferred from Bush Terminal to 65th Street Yard. NYNJ set a goal to boost annual car volume from 1,600 to 23,000 by 2017, concentrating on shipments such as fresh produce, home heating oil, and new automobiles.
See also
- Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island
- South Brooklyn Railway
- Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel
- Bay Ridge Branch
- South Brooklyn Marine Terminal