Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transit |
| Founded | January 18, 1896 |
| Fate | Reorganized into Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation in 1923 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York City , United States |
| Products | Rapid transit, elevated rail, subway, streetcar services |
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was a public transit holding company founded in 1896 with the goal of unifying various railway lines throughout Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. As a prominent player in the transit sector, it was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the single-letter ticker B.
BRT managed both passenger and freight operations over its rapid transit, elevated rail, and subway systems, setting it apart from other subway operators in New York City. Following financial failure in 1919, the company underwent reorganization and reemerged in 1923 as the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation.
Consolidation
Established on January 18, 1896, BRT swiftly took control of the insolvent Long Island Traction Company along with its subsidiaries, such as the Brooklyn Heights Railroad and the lessee of the Brooklyn City Rail Road. Its growth continued with the acquisition of the Brooklyn, Queens County and Suburban Railroad in 1898.
The company brought together a wide array of surface rail lines, including the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad (West End Line), which commenced passenger operations in 1863. This route contains some of the oldest rapid transit right-of-way found in both New York City and the United States.
Originally powered by steam engines, BRT converted most of its lines to electric traction between 1893 and 1900. The service across the Brooklyn Bridge transitioned from cable cars to electric power by 1896.
By the turn of the century, BRT had secured control over nearly all rapid transit and streetcar services within its targeted regions:
- Sea Beach Railway, November 1897
- Sea View Railroad (Coney Island Elevated), November 1897
- Nassau Electric Railroad (operator of several lines), November 1898; leased to Brooklyn Heights Railroad (BHRR) in April 1899
- Brooklyn Elevated Railroad, March 1899; leased to BHRR in April 1899
- Brooklyn and Brighton Beach Railroad (Brighton Beach Line), March 1899
- Kings County Elevated Railroad (Fulton Street Line), acquired November 1899; merged into Brooklyn Union Elevated by May 1900
- Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad (Culver Line), leased June 1899
The only remaining independent operators were the Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad and Van Brunt Street and Erie Basin Railroad; the former was eventually acquired by BRT around 1913–1914.
Expansion
BRT inaugurated its initial subway segment featuring an underground terminal at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge at Delancey and Essex Streets in Manhattan on June 16, 1908. This line extended beneath Delancey and Centre Streets to a five-platform station complex at Chambers Street, located under the Manhattan Municipal Building, which opened on August 4, 1913. In addition to BRT trains, commuter trains operated by the LIRR utilized Chambers Street station until 1917. The elevated railroads were managed by the New York Consolidated Railroad, a subsidiary of BRT.
In 1913, BRT’s affiliate, the New York Municipal Railway, entered into the Dual Contracts agreement with New York City to construct and operate new subway routes. Most lines developed by BRT thereafter were established under these contracts. The first Brooklyn subway line beneath Fourth Avenue commenced service on June 22, 1915, linking via the Manhattan Bridge to the Nassau Street Line at Canal Street. The Manhattan main line subway, known as the Broadway Line, reached 14th Street–Union Square by September 4, 1917, with full completion by 1920. BRT’s sole Manhattan crosstown route, the Canarsie Line, was introduced in 1924.
While initially competing for passengers in Brooklyn and Queens, LIRR also collaborated with BRT through shared track usage agreements and freight exchanges. Following an agreement made in 1895, LIRR passenger trains began accessing BRT’s Brooklyn Bridge terminal using BRT’s elevated lines, continuing onward to downtown Manhattan via the BRT subway and Williamsburg Bridge after Chambers Street Station opened. Operators from both companies were represented by a common union. Presently, BRT’s successor entity, MTA New York City Transit, continues to receive freight shipments from LIRR’s freight successor—the New York & Atlantic Railroad—at facilities such as Sunset Park and Linden Yard.
Demise and legacy
The aftermath of World War I and the ensuing inflation severely challenged New York transit companies, as fare agreements fixed the price at five cents while inflation pushed its actual worth below three cents. On November 1, 1918, the Malbone Street wreck, one of the deadliest rapid transit disasters in U.S. history, took place on the BRT's Franklin Avenue/Brighton Beach route, resulting in at least 93 fatalities. This catastrophe further undermined the already financially troubled company, culminating in the BRT filing for bankruptcy on December 31, 1918. The firm was reorganized in 1923 and reemerged as the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT).
Segments of the BRT’s elevated lines, some originating as early as 1885, are still in use today. Notably, this includes the stretch of the BMT Jamaica Line above Fulton Street from Alabama Avenue extending just beyond Crescent Street. The majority of these remaining structures were either newly constructed or refurbished between 1915 and 1922 under the terms of the Dual Contracts. Additionally, the elevated portion of the Franklin Avenue Shuttle, initially built during 1896 and 1905, underwent significant reconstruction in 1999.
A number of railcars from the BRT era have been preserved, including nine BU cars and five AB Standard cars, which continued to operate within the BMT system following its formation in 1923.