Rochester Railway Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Predecessor | Rochester City & Brighton Railroad |
| Founded | February 1890 |
| Defunct | 1938 |
| Fate | Acquired by Rochester Transit Corp. |
| Headquarters | Rochester, New York , United States |
Area served | Rochester, New York |
The Rochester Railway Company managed a streetcar transit network in Rochester, New York from 1890 until it was acquired by Rochester Transit Corp. in 1938. Established by investors from Pittsburgh, it took over the Rochester City & Brighton Railroad in 1890 and secured a lease on the Rochester Electric Railway in 1894. The 1905 lease of the Rochester and Suburban Railway expanded its reach to Irondequoit and Sea Breeze. Subsequently, it was purchased by Mohawk Valley Company, a subsidiary of New York Central Railroad that oversaw electric railways, and its operations were merged under New York State Railways in 1909.
Early history (1862-1890)
Incorporated on May 31, 1862, the Rochester City and Brighton Rail Road began as a horse-drawn railway. Its inaugural route launched in July 1863, connecting State Street to Mount Hope, followed by another line along Lake Avenue later that year. By October, additional routes linked Buffalo Street with West Avenue, Alexander Street with Monroe Avenue, and extended along Main Street. By the end of that year, the company operated 6.6 miles of track with a fleet of 18 cars and 48 horses. During winter, enclosed sleighs pulled by horses replaced the streetcars, a change that was unpopular among passengers. Due to investor dissatisfaction, the company underwent reorganization in 1863. By 1866, the system had expanded to 9.5 miles with approximately 100 cars; however, service was interrupted during winters of 1865 and 1866 because of severe weather and escalating expenses.
After foreclosure in 1868, local entrepreneur Chauncey B. Woodworth acquired the line and restructured it as the Rochester City and Brighton Railroad. Operations resumed in March 1869 with concessions allowing lighter cars operated by a single individual. A new route on St. Paul Street was introduced in 1873, followed by the North Avenue line in 1878 connecting Bay Street to West Avenue. That same year witnessed a ten-week labor strike which escalated into violent clashes when strikebreakers were brought in.
The network continued growing with the addition of the Allen and Jay Street line in 1880; Park Avenue route from Alexander Street to Vick Park; and an extension along Monroe Avenue to Field Street in 1881. In 1882, horse-drawn omnibuses were launched between Four Corners and the eastern city limits at East Avenue. Subsequent expansions included lines on Lyell Avenue (1883) and Hudson Avenue (1885). At its height in 1889, the railroad operated 183 cars over 40 miles of track supported by over 800 horses housed in five stables. Plans for a Plymouth Avenue line were abandoned due to local opposition. Labor disputes continued; an April 1889 strike triggered riots between workers and replacements before service resumed on June 2.
Formation of Rochester Railway Company
On January 21, 1890, the Rochester City and Brighton Railroad applied to transition from horse power to electric traction. The company was sold that February to form the Rochester Railway Company. Meanwhile, the Rochester Electric Railway Company—established in 1887 to construct a line from its Charlotte power plant to Ridge Road—successfully tested electric trolleys on July 3, 1889, introducing electrified streetcars to Rochester. By spring of 1893, electrification of former Rochester City and Brighton routes was complete. In 1894, Rochester Electric Railway was leased to Rochester Railway Company, which also absorbed assets from Crosstown Railroad and South Park Railroad Company.
Expansion gained momentum after authorization in 1890 to double-track previously single-track lines. A new route opened along Pinnacle Avenue (now South Clinton Avenue) in 1892. The company briefly trialed color-coded routes with matching trolley colors but discontinued this due to operational difficulties. By 1894 all lines had been electrified; horse-drawn cars ceased operations by the following year. On October 5, 1896, streetcar mail collection service commenced using two specialized trolleys equipped to pick up, cancel, and sort mail during transit.
The Rochester and Lake Ontario Railway (R&LO), chartered in 1879 to connect Sea Breeze with Portland Avenue in Rochester via steam railroad, was leased in 1893 by the Rochester and Irondequoit Railroad which constructed an electric line along St. Paul Boulevard reaching Summerville. Both railroads were acquired by the Rochester and Suburban Railway by 1900 and electrified; this company was then leased to Rochester Railway Company in 1905. Additionally, Rochester Railway obtained control over the Rochester and Sodus Bay Railway in 1902.
On May 26, 1904, the Rochester Railway and Light Co. was formed through consolidation of the Rochester Gas and Electric Company and Rochester Light and Power Company while acquiring a controlling interest in Rochester Railway Company. This merger integrated electric utility services with streetcar operations within Rochester.
Control under New York State Railways
In 1905, the New York Central Railroad (NYC), through its subsidiary Mohawk Valley Company, gained control over the Rochester Railway Company along with its parent entity, Rochester Railway and Light Co., as well as the Rochester and Eastern Rapid Railway and Rochester and Sodus Bay Railway. By 1909, these railroads, together with the former Canandaigua Street Railroad, were consolidated into the Rochester Lines division of New York State Railways. While New York State Railways assumed operational control of the Rochester Railway, ownership of the electric utility assets remained with Mohawk Valley Company.
The practice of collecting mail via trolley cars was discontinued on February 28, 1909.
Throughout the early decades of the 20th century, Rochester Railway extended its network: Main Street East was lengthened to Blossom Road in 1906; Park Avenue was extended along East Avenue reaching Winton Road in 1907; the Clinton South line was expanded in 1911; and a city-commissioned extension from Sea Breeze to Durand Eastman Park was completed between 1911 and 1912. To alleviate downtown congestion caused by all lines terminating on Main Street, a through-routing system connecting east-west routes was introduced starting in 1912. In 1914, operational headquarters relocated to Lake Avenue Station near Kodak Park. Subsequent expansions included the Clinton North extension from Norton Street to Ridge Road in 1922. Utilizing the abandoned Erie Canal bed, the city constructed the final transit extension, leading to New York State Railways operating the Rochester Subway beginning in 1927.
During the 1920s, the Rochester Railways Coordinated Bus Lines was established to manage bus services independently of streetcar operations. An experimental trackless trolley service launched in 1923 on the Driving Park route using a fleet of twelve vehicles housed at St. Paul Shops but was discontinued by March 3, 1932. Additionally, New York State Railways held control over several bus companies such as Darling Bus Line and East Avenue Bus Co., and acquired Rochester Interurban Bus Co. in 1925.
Decline and service reductions
In June 1928, New York Central divested its interests in Mohawk Valley Company and New York State Railways to E.L. Phillips, who was president of Empire Power Corp. and Long Island Lighting Company. The utility assets changed ownership again in 1929, after which New York State Railways entered receivership due to bond payment defaults. The interurban Rochester and Sodus Bay Railway line ceased operations in June 1929; local streetcar service to Glen Haven terminated in 1933. On July 31, 1930, both the Rochester and Eastern Rapid Railway line to Geneva and Canandaigua local service were discontinued.
The first wave of streetcar service reductions began on August 18, 1929, with closures of Exchange, Plymouth, Emerson, and Driving Park lines. Declining patronage caused by the Great Depression, increased automobile ownership, and improved road infrastructure led to further eliminations. On August 30, 1936, eleven lines—including Durand-Eastman Park, Allen, Jefferson, South Clinton, Webster, Clifford, Central Park, Goodman North, Sea Breeze, Hudson, and Joseph—were closed. The following year saw discontinuation of Park Avenue, West Avenue, and University Avenue lines.
Transition to Rochester Transit Corp. (1938–1968)
With the parent organization entering receivership, both bondholders and local advocates called for public management of Rochester Lines. In 1938, the newly formed Rochester Transit Corporation (RTC) took over all bus and rail franchises previously held by the Rochester Railway Company. On May 23, 1939, RTC discontinued service on the Genesee, Lyell, South, St. Paul, Seneca Park, and Summerville routes. By July 1940, RTC presented a plan to replace the remaining streetcars with buses—a proposal that was subsequently approved.
The Parsells and Thurston routes were shut down on December 24, 1940; Monroe and North Clinton followed on February 18, 1941; and Portland and Dewey ceased operations on March 11—leaving only the Main East and Lake line as Rochester’s final surface streetcar corridor. The last streetcar ran on March 31, 1941, with a ceremonial removal of overhead wires symbolizing the full transition to bus transit.
After 1941, the city contracted RTC to manage the Rochester Subway. In 1954, city council authorized converting a portion of the Subway into an expressway; subway service continued until December 31, 1955. Due to delays in expressway construction, RTC operated under a month-to-month agreement until June 30, 1956. The final subway car returned shortly after midnight on July 1, marking the conclusion of rail transit in Rochester.
In 1943, RTC’s board acquired Associated Gas and Electric Company’s shares, reestablishing complete local ownership. Labor disputes eventually prompted the city to assume control in 1968 under the name Rochester Transit Service. The following year, RTC’s transit franchises were transferred to the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority.