Greenville Yard
| Company type | Freight rail facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Headquarters | Jersey City , United States |
Area served | Port of New York and New Jersey |
| Owner | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
| Parent | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
Greenville Yard is a freight rail facility situated within the Port of New York and New Jersey, positioned on Upper New York Bay in Jersey City, New Jersey, just north of Port Jersey. Initially established in 1904 by the Pennsylvania Railroad and subsequently overseen by Conrail, ownership transferred to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) in 2010. The yard derives its name from the former community of Greenville.
New York New Jersey Rail
New York New Jersey Rail, LLC, previously known as the New York Cross Harbor Railroad, operates a car float service that transports freight cars across the bay to the 65th Street Yard located in Brooklyn, New York. This service circumvents the limitations imposed on using the New York Tunnel Extension beneath the Hudson River, thereby avoiding a 140-mile detour northward at Selkirk, New York, commonly referred to as the "Selkirk hurdle." NYNJ leases approximately within Greenville Yard, enabling connections with two major Class I railroad companies – CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway – through Conrail's North Jersey Shared Assets Area. The national rail network and access to Canadian Pacific Railway are facilitated via the Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge or the Long Dock Tunnel.
ExpressRail Port Jersey
As one of four terminals within PANYNJ's ExpressRail network, Greenville Yard plays a pivotal role in streamlining rail transfers throughout the port. It supports the adjacent car float operations, handles barge-to-rail transfers of municipal waste from New York, and serves the nearby container terminal operated by CMA CGM at Port Liberty Bayonne.
Following PANYNJ's acquisition of Greenville Yard in 2010, plans were initiated to modernize the facility to improve solid waste handling and reduce reliance on truck transport. In 2011, PANYNJ engaged HDR, Inc. for design consultancy services. By September 2014, a redevelopment initiative valued at $356 million was announced, encompassing a new rail container terminal featuring roughly 10,000 feet of active track and infrastructure to support rail-mounted gantry cranes. The terminal was initially designed to manage 125,000 container lifts annually. The project scope also included constructing two new rail-to-barge transfer bridges, procuring two car float barges capable of carrying 18 cars each, and acquiring four ultra low emission locomotives to replace outdated models. Funding for $320 million was provided by PANYNJ with additional contributions from other stakeholders. The upgraded facility was projected to be operational by July 2016.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation allocated more than $87 million between 2014 and 2017 for this initiative and associated land purchases. Construction commenced in December 2016 with an anticipated completion in 2018. The initial phase—comprising four tracks and two gantry cranes—became operational on January 7, 2019; a subsequent phase added another four tracks for a total of eight by June 17, 2019.
Until mid-2023, operations at Greenville Yard were managed by GCT Global Container Terminals, after which control transferred to CMA CGM.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The name Greenville Yard originates from the former municipality of Greenville, now incorporated into Jersey City, and also identifies a nearby industrial park and distribution center. Constructed in 1904 by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), the yard initially featured three bridges—Nos. 11, 12, and 13—modeled after those at Harsimus Cove. Various contractors contributed: bridge machinery was built by the Steele & Condict Company of New Jersey, foundation work and aprons were executed by Henry Steers, Inc., while superstructure assembly and transfer machinery housing were managed by Cooper-Wigand-Cooke Company alongside the R.P. & J.H. Staats Company. The design incorporated electric motors with control systems and a live load counterweight mechanism, establishing a benchmark for electrified lift bridges within the industry. Comparable structures were later constructed locally by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad at Oak Point Yard (1908) and by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at St. George, Staten Island (1912). A fourth bridge (No.14) was added in 1910, followed by a fifth (No.10) in 1924 built by the Schuylkill Bridge Works Division of the Lewis F. Shoemaker & Company.
On January 1, 1931, Bridge No.10 experienced a short circuit that ignited its wooden superstructure; within fifteen minutes fire spread to two additional bridges and the transfer house. Due to lack of direct road access, firefighting efforts involved crews arriving via rail and watercraft—50 personnel on land supported by 20 tugs and fireboats—to contain damage that destroyed one car float along with twenty-five NYNH&H cars moored at Bridge No.10; three other car floats were salvaged. The fire disabled all five bridges; freight operations were rerouted through PRR’s Harsimus Cove and Exchange Place yards as well as through Lehigh Valley Railroad’s terminal on Morris Canal Basin. Estimated losses ranged from $500,000 to $1 million at that time (equivalent to roughly $7.8–15.5 million in 2014 dollars), temporarily displacing around 300 workers who were reassigned during repair efforts or moved to other yards.
The bridges were reconstructed by the American Bridge Company following original designs but replaced all wooden components with more durable materials. Repairs prioritized Bridges Nos. 10, 13, and 14; Bridge No.12 was cleared for reconstruction in 1939 but delayed due to World War II constraints. A new bridge numbered No.9 entered service on November 9, 1943 to accommodate traffic from military logistics centers including the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn Army Terminal.
PANYNJ
In May 2010, the Port Authority revealed intentions to acquire Greenville Yard and establish a new barge-to-rail terminal, along with enhancements to the current rail car float system. This facility is anticipated to process between 60,000 and 90,000 solid waste containers annually from New York City, potentially eliminating up to 360,000 truck trips each year. The board approved $118.1 million in funding for this initiative. Additionally, the New Jersey Department of Transportation dedicated over $70 million in its 2012 budget to upgrades of barges and bridges.
By November 2011, HDR, Inc. was appointed as the lead design consultant for the rehabilitation of the railyard and waterfront infrastructure. Their scope included refurbishing a rail barge and transfer bridge, demolishing two existing bridges, designing a new barge alongside two replacement bridges, and installing 10,000 feet of new track. This five-year endeavor encompasses the creation of a substantial intermodal rail terminal known as ExpressRail Port Jersey.
The impact of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 inflicted significant damage on Greenville Yard, including the collapse of float bridge gantries and the sinking of a car float. Due to their deteriorated state, the gantries—aged 81 years—were removed. To resume operations, a functioning float bridge from Bush Terminal was transported via barge. The redevelopment plan involved phased demolition followed by construction of two modern float bridges and a barge transfer station.
On September 17, 2014, the Port Authority announced financing for an extensive redevelopment of Greenville Yard featuring a new ExpressRail container terminal serving Global Marine Terminal. This project includes laying approximately 10,000 feet of active track and 32,000 feet of supporting track and switches, in addition to infrastructure capable of accommodating rail-mounted gantry cranes. The terminal is designed to initially handle 125,000 container lifts annually. Further components involve two new rail-to-barge transfer bridges, two car float barges each with an 18-rail-car capacity, and four KLW SE10B ultra-low emission locomotives replacing older models. Of the total $356 million cost, $320 million is provided by the Port Authority with the remainder contributed by stakeholders. The facility was projected to become operational by July 2016.
The barges were delivered in 2017 and 2018 respectively. On January 7, 2019, four out of eight tracks at the new intermodal transfer facility commenced operations; the remaining four tracks became operational on June 17, 2019. Two rail-mounted gantry cranes span these tracks and extend over adjacent truck lanes. This terminal boasts an annual capacity of 250,000 container lifts, thereby raising the port’s total capacity to 1.5 million lifts per year.
See also
- Oak Island Yard
- Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel
- Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island
- Geography of New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary
- List of rail yards
- Weeks Marine, adjacent to the yard