New York New Jersey Rail

New York New Jersey Rail, LLC
Company type	Private (owned by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey)
Industry	Rail transport, freight ferry service
Predecessor	New York Cross Harbor Railroad (NYCH)
Founded	2006
Headquarters	Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Products	Switching and terminal railroad services, car float operation
Owner	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Website	www.panynj.gov/business-opportunities/ny-nj-rail.html

New York New Jersey Rail, LLC is a switching and terminal railroad that provides the exclusive car float operation traversing Upper New York Bay between Jersey City, New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York. Owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey since November 2008, the company was acquired for approximately $16 million to support prospects for a future Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel.

With freight trains prohibited from using Amtrak's North River Tunnels and the 1974 shutdown of the Poughkeepsie Bridge, this ferry service remains the only freight crossing over the Hudson River south of the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge. This situation necessitates a significant detour known as the Selkirk hurdle. Additionally, it stands as the last remaining car float operation within the Port of New York and New Jersey.

The railroad is divided into two segments: Marine and Port Jersey Rail. Its switching activities on the Brooklyn side include a spur extending northward to Bush Terminal, passing through the Brooklyn Army Terminal and running along First Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. This spur is notable as the final active example of street-running rail lines in New York City.

Operations

The Port Authority owns and manages Greenville Yard located in Greenville, Jersey City, which connects with major Class I railroads such as CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway, both operating under the joint venture of Conrail Shared Assets Operations within the North Jersey Shared Assets Area. On the Brooklyn end at Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the 65th Street Yard links to the freight-exclusive Bay Ridge Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, managed by the New York and Atlantic Railway, as well as to the South Brooklyn Railway operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The harbor crossing spans roughly 4 miles by barge, requiring about 45 minutes—a notable reduction compared to truck routes ranging from 35 to 50 miles.

As reported in 2012, NYNJ transports nearly 1,500 rail cars annually across Upper New York Bay, with infrastructure capable of handling up to 25,000 cars per year. The company upgraded its locomotive fleet by replacing two older EMD GP38-2 units with three environmentally-friendly models from Knoxville Locomotive Works, investing $5 million. By mid-2015, approximately 4,900 rail cars had been moved year-to-date.

History

Between 1983 and 2006, this operation was known as New York Cross Harbor Railroad (NYCH), inheriting roles from earlier entities like the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Company, the Bush Terminal Railroad, and previous services conducted by both the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad at Bay Ridge and Greenville.

In 1999, New York City undertook rehabilitation of the larger 65th Street Yard for car float purposes but withheld its transfer to NYCH due to financial disagreements; consequently, NYCH continued utilizing Bush Terminal’s single transfer bridge. By 2002, NYCH reported revenues of $1.7 million with a customer base of 48 active clients; shipments of cocoa from Brooklyn docks constituted its primary freight business. The company also provided trucking services alongside shipside and dockside cargo handling.

The NYCH ceased operations in 2006 when Mid-Atlantic New England Rail, LLC acquired it and renamed it New York New Jersey Rail, LLC (NYNJ). Ownership transferred to New York City in 2008.

Following acquisition, the Port Authority embarked on extensive rehabilitation initiatives for NYNJ—these included reinforcing Greenville’s transfer bridge, restoring facilities in Brooklyn, acquiring ultra-low emission locomotives, and procuring a new rail barge capable of carrying 30 cars. In May 2010, plans were announced to purchase Greenville Yard along with developing a new barge-to-rail terminal projected to handle between 60,000 and 90,000 containers of solid waste annually. This facility would reduce truck traffic by up to 360,000 trips each year. The project received authorization for funding totaling $118.1 million. Later that year in December, NYNJ expanded its network by acquiring the 2.4-mile Port Jersey Railroad to enhance port access at Greenville.

In November 2011, HDR, Inc. was contracted by the Port Authority to oversee Greenville Yard’s modernization—this included upgrading yard tracks and waterfront structures, demolishing obsolete bridges, designing new barges and transfer bridges, and installing an additional 10,000 feet of track. By July 2012, operations resumed at 65th Street Yard with initial shipments comprising apples, heating oil products, vehicles, and scrap metal. Rail infrastructure was refurbished to support automobile imports at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal as well as recycling plant activities.

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 inflicted significant damage on Greenville Yard’s infrastructure; following demolition of deteriorated gantries and relocation of an operational float bridge from Bush Terminal—renamed Greenville Pontoon Bridge—service was restored after a reconstruction period lasting 52 days.

In September 2014, a major redevelopment project at Greenville Yard was financed by the Port Authority: this included construction of a new ExpressRail container terminal serving Port Jersey Global Marine Terminal; installation of two new rail-to-barge transfer bridges; acquisition of two new car float barges; plus four ultra-low emission locomotives. The first new barge named NYNJR100, delivered in November 2017 by Metal Trades, Inc., has capacity for up to 18 rail cars (each measuring approximately 60 feet) with a maximum load of 2,298 long tons. The second barge NYNJR200 arrived in December 2018; an older barge designated 278 remains operational. The ExpressRail terminal officially opened on January 7, 2019 with four tracks initially active; all eight tracks became fully operational by June 17.

In July 2017, the Port Authority initiated a $35 million feasibility study examining a freight-capable Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel, which if constructed would eliminate dependency on NYNJ’s ferry system.

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Operations

History

See also

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