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New Rochelle (Metro-North station)
Encyclopedia
The New Rochelle station serves New Rochelle, New York
, via the New Haven Line. Amtrak
's Northeast Regional also stops at the station en route to Boston and Washington, DC, serving riders from northern New York City
and Southern Westchester who use New Rochelle as a closer alternative to Penn Station. There is also a bus stop
for Bee-Line Bus System
buses.
It is 16.6 miles (26.7 km) from Grand Central Terminal
and the average travel time is 36 minutes with some peak hour runs originating/terminating at New Rochelle being up to 10 minutes shorter in duration.
As of August 2006, weekday commuter ridership was 4,020, and there are 1,381 parking spots. It is the busiest New Haven Line station in Westchester County
.
On October 14, 2009 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The NRHP listing is limited to the historic station building and just the land underneath its roofline, as the pedestrian bridge elevators, track and other associated structure is all much newer and lack historical merit. The building was built in 1887 for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The architect of the building is unknown; it was built by George O. Hawes, a local builder. The building was remodelled in 1931.
built in the early 1840s. At the time, New Rochelle was the final railroad station before entering New York City
. A fatal head-on collision in New Rochelle in 1851 led to the construction of a second track in 1853. By 1869, six trains traveled between the two cities daily. In 1884, the railroad drew up plans for its present brick structure which was constructed in 1887 to replace the original Gothic Revival structure that had stood just northeast of what is now North Avenue.
The 1½ story station is built of brick
and has a gabled roof punctuated by a series of hipped dormers. A centered hexagonal dormer
projects away from the building to allow views along the tracks. Its eaves
overhang beyond the exterior walls of the building, and is supported by unadorned wood brackets. The interior of the 3670 square feet (341 m²) still retains many original features. The station was fully renovated in 1990, and careful attention was placed on restoring it to its original historic accuracy. The waiting room is reflective of New Haven line stations, with plaster walls, a wood ceiling and wood wainscot
sheathing. The original floor was probably wood, but was replaced sometime in the 1930s with Terrazzo
. There are wood moldings around the doors, and crown moldings enhance the perimeter at the ceiling line.
By the turn of the century, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad had five tracks through New Rochelle. The population had surged to 15,000 inhabitants. A roundhouse
for steam engine
s, tracks for passenger cars and a large freightyard near Cedar Street was built.
Over the years, New Rochelle became one of the busiest stations on the line. As it developed into a commuter town
, local travel increased even more. The city obtained national fame in 1906 when George M. Cohan
wrote the song entitled "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
". The average 36-minute train ride and 10-minute walk from Grand Central to Broadway places the station about 45 minutes away.
and taxi
connections. The parking garage has a capacity in excess of 900 cars, which is two and a half times the on-site parking capacity prior to its construction. On the ground level of the structure is a bus terminal
, complete with a waiting area and ticket office. The center was designed to be home to long-distance bus carriers such as the Trailways Transportation System
, however they have since moved out of the Center, back to a stop on 2 blocks away on Main Street. Routes on the Westchester Bee-Line
are still served here. Several taxi companies operate from the structure, and Connecticut Limousine provides service to regional airport
s. The center was completed in 2001 and is in active use. The old station and the new transportation center have been blended together to meet the needs of the growing commuter population while at the same time preserving historical and architectural integrity of the 1887 station house.
next to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
-bound Metro-North trains. The south one, a 10-car-long island platform between Tracks 2 and 4, is generally used by Amtrak trains in either direction and by eastbound or Connecticut
-bound Metro-North trains.
The New Haven Line has four tracks here. Track 1, not next to either platform, is used by express trains.
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, via the New Haven Line. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Northeast Regional also stops at the station en route to Boston and Washington, DC, serving riders from northern New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Southern Westchester who use New Rochelle as a closer alternative to Penn Station. There is also a bus stop
Bus stop
A bus stop is a designated place where buses stop for passengers to board or leave a bus. These are normally positioned on the highway and are distinct from off-highway facilities such as bus stations. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage...
for Bee-Line Bus System
Bee-Line Bus System
The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc...
buses.
It is 16.6 miles (26.7 km) from Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
and the average travel time is 36 minutes with some peak hour runs originating/terminating at New Rochelle being up to 10 minutes shorter in duration.
As of August 2006, weekday commuter ridership was 4,020, and there are 1,381 parking spots. It is the busiest New Haven Line station in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
.
On October 14, 2009 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The NRHP listing is limited to the historic station building and just the land underneath its roofline, as the pedestrian bridge elevators, track and other associated structure is all much newer and lack historical merit. The building was built in 1887 for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The architect of the building is unknown; it was built by George O. Hawes, a local builder. The building was remodelled in 1931.
History
On December 25, 1848 the first train steamed through New Rochelle, part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford RailroadNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
built in the early 1840s. At the time, New Rochelle was the final railroad station before entering New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. A fatal head-on collision in New Rochelle in 1851 led to the construction of a second track in 1853. By 1869, six trains traveled between the two cities daily. In 1884, the railroad drew up plans for its present brick structure which was constructed in 1887 to replace the original Gothic Revival structure that had stood just northeast of what is now North Avenue.
The 1½ story station is built of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and has a gabled roof punctuated by a series of hipped dormers. A centered hexagonal dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
projects away from the building to allow views along the tracks. Its eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
overhang beyond the exterior walls of the building, and is supported by unadorned wood brackets. The interior of the 3670 square feet (341 m²) still retains many original features. The station was fully renovated in 1990, and careful attention was placed on restoring it to its original historic accuracy. The waiting room is reflective of New Haven line stations, with plaster walls, a wood ceiling and wood wainscot
Wainscot
Wainscot is a term used in fantasy fiction to describe societies that are concealed and secretly working in the real world. It was first coined by The Encyclopedia of Fantasy in 1997....
sheathing. The original floor was probably wood, but was replaced sometime in the 1930s with Terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
. There are wood moldings around the doors, and crown moldings enhance the perimeter at the ceiling line.
By the turn of the century, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad had five tracks through New Rochelle. The population had surged to 15,000 inhabitants. A roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
for steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s, tracks for passenger cars and a large freightyard near Cedar Street was built.
Over the years, New Rochelle became one of the busiest stations on the line. As it developed into a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, local travel increased even more. The city obtained national fame in 1906 when George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
wrote the song entitled "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway is a three-act musical by George M. Cohan written about New Rochelle, New York. The play's title refers to the 45-minute train ride from New Rochelle to Broadway....
". The average 36-minute train ride and 10-minute walk from Grand Central to Broadway places the station about 45 minutes away.
Intermodal Transportation Center
An increase in Metro North and Amtrak ridership late in the 20th century caused a demand for additional parking. In 1994, the city launched a plan to create a transportation center, including a parking structure with busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
connections. The parking garage has a capacity in excess of 900 cars, which is two and a half times the on-site parking capacity prior to its construction. On the ground level of the structure is a bus terminal
Bus terminus
A bus terminus is a designated place where a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route. The terminus is the designated place that a timetable is timed from. Termini can be located at bus stations, interchanges, bus garages or simple bus stops. Termini can both start and stop at the same...
, complete with a waiting area and ticket office. The center was designed to be home to long-distance bus carriers such as the Trailways Transportation System
Trailways Transportation System
The Trailways Transportation System is an American group of 80 independent bus companies that have entered into a franchising agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.- History :...
, however they have since moved out of the Center, back to a stop on 2 blocks away on Main Street. Routes on the Westchester Bee-Line
Bee-Line Bus System
The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc...
are still served here. Several taxi companies operate from the structure, and Connecticut Limousine provides service to regional airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s. The center was completed in 2001 and is in active use. The old station and the new transportation center have been blended together to meet the needs of the growing commuter population while at the same time preserving historical and architectural integrity of the 1887 station house.
Platforms and tracks
The station has two high-level platforms. The north one, a nine-car-long side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
next to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-bound Metro-North trains. The south one, a 10-car-long island platform between Tracks 2 and 4, is generally used by Amtrak trains in either direction and by eastbound or Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
-bound Metro-North trains.
The New Haven Line has four tracks here. Track 1, not next to either platform, is used by express trains.
Additional information
- Interview regarding 1989 restoration. Beacher, Melvin, Architect; February 2005.
- NY,·NH, & HRR Passenger Station Plans, Hawes, George; New Rochelle, New York, January 1884.
- Stage JA Archaeological Survey of the Inter-modal Transportation Center, Historical Perspectives, Inc.; New Rochelle, New York, 1999.
- Officials finishing restoration plans for the New Rochelle Train Station, Marchant, Robert; Standard Star, December 11, 1989
- Building-Structure Inventory Form: Metro North Railroad Station. Taylor, David L.; New Rochelle, New York, 1998.
- Resolving the Fate of New Rochelle's Station, Wald, Matthew; New-York Times, 7/23/89.
- Railroad Station Re-dedication, Wines, Roger, New Rochelle, New York, March 1, 1991.