New York Elevated Railroad

IRT Third Avenue Line
Company type	Former rapid transit line
Industry	Public transportation
Predecessor	New York Elevated Railway
Founded	1878
Defunct	1973
Fate	Demolished
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City
Products	Elevated railway transit service

The IRT Third Avenue Line, frequently referred to as the Third Avenue Elevated, Third Avenue El, or Bronx El, was an elevated railway system serving both Manhattan and the Bronx in New York City. Originally operated by the New York Elevated Railway, it later became part of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) network and was incorporated into the New York City Subway system.

The initial portion of this line commenced operations on August 26, 1878, running from South Ferry to Grand Central Depot. Service was subsequently extended northward to Harlem by December 30 of the same year. By 1881, the line offered continuous, around-the-clock service. The elevated route in Manhattan was gradually phased out during the early 1950s, with complete closure occurring on May 12, 1955. The Bronx section remained operational as part of the 8 route until its termination on April 29, 1973.

Among elevated lines in Manhattan, the Third Avenue El was the last to operate aside from elevated segments on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, which include stretches between 122nd and 135th Streets and north of Dyckman Street. This line was often featured in motion pictures. Other elevated routes such as the Second, Sixth, and Ninth Avenue ceased service in 1942, 1938, and 1940 respectively.

Operation

In 1875, authorization was granted by the Rapid Transit Commission for the New York Elevated Railway Company to construct a rail line extending from Battery Park up to the Harlem River, following the corridors of the Bowery and Third Avenue. This company had previously taken control of the Ninth Avenue Elevated in 1871 after acquiring it from the bankrupt West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway. The Third Avenue El officially opened in 1878, initially operating between South Ferry and 129th Street. Control was transferred to the Manhattan Railway Company in 1879.

In 1886, the Suburban Rapid Transit Company inaugurated a railway crossing over the Harlem River using a double-deck swing bridge that connected Manhattan’s terminal at 129th Street with 133rd Street in what was then known as the "Annexed District" of the Bronx. The Manhattan Railway took over operations of this extension in 1891 as part of the Third Avenue Line expansion; full through service between Manhattan and the Bronx began in 1896. A lease agreement lasting 999 years granted control of the Manhattan Railway to the Interborough Rapid Transit Company in 1902, thereby integrating rapid transit services in the Bronx with New York’s burgeoning subway system. Around this period, electrification of the line was implemented.

As part of improvements under the Dual Contracts, a third track was added along much of the route to facilitate express trains during peak weekday hours and to boost overall capacity. The IRT regarded this engineering project as more monumental than constructing the Panama Canal. The center track in the Bronx became operational on January 17, 1916, followed by Manhattan’s completion on July 9, 1917.

By 1934, service patterns included:

Third Avenue Local: Operating from South Ferry to 129th Street on weekdays and Saturdays; extending to Bronx Park on Sundays; peak hour trains running between City Hall and Bronx Park.
Third Avenue Thru-Express: Running during weekday peak periods from City Hall to 241st Street via White Plains Road Line.
Third Avenue Local-Express: Weekday and Saturday service from City Hall to Bronx Park utilizing express tracks during rush hours.

In December 1937, certain local-express routes were lengthened to reach 241st Street, replacing shuttle services except during peak direction rush hours.

Throughout the mid-20th century, adjustments included redirecting Sunday evening local trains to terminate at City Hall (1943), shortening service to Freeman Street (1946), and reducing Saturday operations (1947). Peak express runs were altered or discontinued between 1947 and 1952. The segment between Chatham Square and South Ferry closed on December 22, 1950, consolidating most train terminations at City Hall except for some peak locals ending at Chatham Square.

Additional cutbacks occurred from March through November 1952: service south of 149th Street was limited to weekday daytime hours only while peak local trains were curtailed. Due to overcrowding concerns, some local services were reinstated by December that year. The final closure of Chatham Square–City Hall took place on December 31, 1953. Subsequent operations primarily consisted of local trains connecting Tremont Avenue or 129th Street with Canal Street during peak times and off-peak runs between Gun Hill Road and 149th Street.

Following cessation of Manhattan’s elevated line in 1955, commuters on the East Side were left dependent solely on an overcrowded IRT Lexington Avenue Line, resulting in a considerable transit deficit east of Fifth Avenue.

Closures

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, as New York City unified its subway operators—the IRT, BMT, and IND—the Third Avenue elevated line along with other IRT elevated routes on Second, Sixth, and Ninth Avenues faced considerable opposition from Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and his successors. These elevated railways were regarded as outdated and harmful to property development, especially since underground subways were planned to take their place.

The IND Sixth Avenue Line and IND Eighth Avenue Line substituted the Sixth and Ninth Avenue elevated lines, which ceased operations by 1940 and were dismantled by 1941. The Second Avenue elevated line was removed incrementally between 1940 and 1942. When it closed on June 13, 1942, service was redirected through the Third Avenue Line, which continued running while the Second Avenue Subway was under construction. Nevertheless, real estate developers opposed the elevated structure’s noise and visual impact, prompting the formation of the Third Avenue Elevated Noise Abatement Committee in 1941 to advocate for reduced train frequency.

The phased shutdown of the system spanned from 1950 to 1973. The South Ferry branch ended service on December 22, 1950, closing the South Ferry elevated station; free transfers to the M13 bus helped ease this transition. The Bronx Park terminal closed on November 14, 1951, after which local trains terminated at either Gun Hill Road or Fordham Road. Evening and weekend service south of 149th Street was discontinued on March 14, 1952.

In 1953, the City Hall spur was closed. On May 12, 1955, operations along the main line segment from Chatham Square to East 149th Street ended, marking the conclusion of Manhattan’s elevated train service. This removal stimulated property value growth on the East Side but also contributed to economic decline in parts of the Bronx. To symbolize renewal efforts, the Real Estate Board of New York suggested renaming Third Avenue as “the Bouwerie.”

By 1967, remaining Bronx operations were designated route 8, although trains displayed "SHUTTLE" signage. The MTA's 1968 Program for Action included plans to dismantle the last elevated sections deemed obsolete and replace them with a parallel line along Metro-North’s Harlem Line as part of the Second Avenue Subway initiative. Local business groups expected economic revitalization similar to that seen after Manhattan’s closures. However, this project was abandoned following the failure of a $2.5 billion transportation bond referendum in November 1971.

The final Bronx portion between East 149th Street and Gun Hill Road ceased service on April 29, 1973; demolition commenced on March 9, 1977 and was completed by year-end alongside sections of the Jamaica Line. The Second Avenue Subway project was halted due to financial difficulties during the 1970s fiscal crisis.

The Third Avenue elevated line was succeeded by the Bx55 bus route, which mirrored train stops and offered free transfers at major subway hubs—Third Avenue–149th Street, Gun Hill Road, and 161st Street–Yankee Stadium—making it one of the first bus lines with such transfer privileges. This advantage ended with systemwide free transfers introduced in the 1990s. In 2013, Bx55 service was discontinued following the launch of Bx41 Select Bus Service; portions were replaced by Bx15 Limited operating via West Harlem but not extending beyond Fordham Plaza to Gun Hill Road.

Station list

Station	Track type	Date opened	Date closed	Connections and remarks
Gun Hill Road	Express	October 4, 1920	April 29, 1973	Linked to White Plains Road Line
Williamsbridge–210th Street	Local	October 4, 1920	April 29, 1973
204th Street	Local	October 4, 1920	April 29, 1973
200th Street	Local	October 4, 1920	April 29, 1973
Bronx Park Terminal	Spur	May 21, 1902	November 14, 1951	Terminal station until October 4, 1920
Fordham Road–190th Street	Express	July 1, 1901	April 29, 1973	Connected to NYC Harlem Line; initially named Pelham Avenue
183rd Street	Local	July 1, 1901	April 29, 1973
180th Street	Local	July 1, 1901	April 29, 1973
Tremont Avenue–177th Street	Express	July 20, 1891	April 29, 1973	Formerly known as 177th Street; provided access to Bronx Borough Hall
174th Street	Local	July 20, 1891	April 29, 1973
Claremont Parkway	Local	September 19, 1888	April 29, 1973	Originally called Wendover Avenue
169th Street	Local	September 2, 1888	April 29, 1973
166th Street	Local	December 25, 1887	April 29, 1973
161st Street	Local	August 7, 1887	April 29, 1973
156th Street	Local	July 1, 1887	April 29, 1973
149th Street	Express	June 16, 1887	April 29, 1973	Connection to IRT White Plains Road Line

References

"Crossings on Elevated Roads," The New York Times, March 14, 1879, p.8.
3rd AVE. EL, ARDEE FILMS Release (circa early-1950s public domain), Associate Producer Helena Sand; produced and directed by Carson Davidson – filmed prior to South Ferry spur closure on December 22, 1950.

External links

Operation

Closures

Station list

References

Further reading

External links