Harlem River and Port Chester Railroad

Harlem River and Port Chester Railroad

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	April 23, 1866 (1866-04-23)
Defunct	January 1, 1927 (1927-01-01)
Fate	Merged into New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	New York City, Westchester County, New York
Products	Rail transportation (passenger and freight)

The Harlem River and Port Chester Railroad (HR&PC) was established in 1866 as a branch line connecting New York City to Port Chester, New York. It commenced operations in 1873 under the management of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and continued service until 1971. Presently, the HR&PC forms a segment of the Hell Gate Line on Amtrak's high-speed Northeast Corridor.

Early history

Incorporated on April 23, 1866, the HR&PC was designed to run from the Harlem River at Manhattan’s northern tip to Port Chester near the Connecticut state line. Construction only reached as far north as New Rochelle, which was then the final station before entering New York City from Connecticut.

Following the 1872 consolidation that resulted in the formation of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, New Haven leased the HR&PC in 1873, opening it that same year. This connection extended from New Rochelle southward into the Bronx, facilitating uninterrupted rail service from Connecticut into Manhattan. The HR&PC primarily managed freight traffic between New York City and the Harlem River Yards, while commuter trains operated between Harlem River Terminal and New Rochelle until 1931.

The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway launched service in 1912 along a route parallel to the HR&PC west of the Bronx River. Until 1924, the elevated IRT Third Avenue Line operated a brief Willis Avenue Spur that served the Harlem River terminal shared by both HR&PC and NYW&B.

Passenger service connecting HR&PC at Port Morris with the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad at Sunnyside Yard began in 1917 via the New York Connecting Railroad, enabling NYNH&H trains to reach New York Penn Station. Despite this new route, most trains continued to utilize Grand Central Terminal until Amtrak took over intercity rail operations in 1971.

Later years

On January 1, 1927, HR&PC was merged into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, becoming known as the Harlem River Branch. The NYNH&H itself merged into Penn Central in 1969, which later became part of Conrail in 1976. Eventually, ownership of the HR&PC line transferred to Amtrak, where it now operates as a portion of its Northeast Corridor, supporting high-speed Acela trains.

Station listing

Locality	Milepost	Station	Lat/long	Notes/Connections
The Bronx	0.0	Harlem River Terminal / Willis Avenue		Linked to IRT spur and NYW&B
	NYCR merges with HR&PC from Hell Gate Bridge
	0.9	Port Morris		Connected with NYW&B
	1.9	Casanova		Connection to NYW&B
	2.6	Hunts Point		Formerly connected to NYW&B; currently a retail area
	3.2	Westchester Avenue		Linked with NYW&B
	3.9	West Farms
	4.8	Van Nest
	5.4	Morris Park
	5.8	Westchester
	7.2	Baychester
	8.2	City Island		Also known as Bartow station
Westchester	9.8	Pelham Manor
	10.8	Woodside
	HR&PC connects with NYNH&H Main Line
	11.5	New Rochelle
Integrated into New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1927

See also

• New Haven Line
• Oak Point Yard
• List of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad precursors

Sources

• PRR Chronology