New York and New Haven Railroad
Encyclopedia
The New York and New Haven Railroad was a railroad connecting New York City
to New Haven, Connecticut
along the shore of the Long Island Sound
. It opened in 1849, and in 1872 it merged with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad
to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
. The line is now the Metro-North Railroad
New Haven Line
and part of Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
.
was considered difficult due to the many rivers that fed into it. Thus the first all-rail New York City
-Boston lines ran north via the predecessors to the New York Central and the Boston and Albany Railroad
). Other routes involved combined water and rail routes, some going east via the Long Island Rail Road
, other departing the East River waterfront of New York for ports in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts. However, railroad technology soon improved, and the New York and New Haven Railroad was chartered June 20, 1844 to build such a line from New York to New Haven, where it would connect to the Hartford and New Haven Railroad
, which itself connected to the future Boston and Albany Railroad
at Springfield.
The company was organized May 19, 1846, and construction began September 1847; the full line opened January 1849. A March 17, 1848 agreement gave the company trackage rights
over the New York and Harlem Railroad
from Williamsbridge (now part of the Bronx
) south into New York City (along the line that now ends at Grand Central Terminal
).
On July 11, 1848, the recently opened New Haven and Northampton Company, running north from New Haven to Plainville, was leased to the NY&NH. On February 16, 1850, the second part of the line to Granby was also leased; the rest of the line north into Massachusetts
was never leased. Both leases expired June 30, 1869, and the company operated independently until 1887, when the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
leased it.
The first superintendent of the railroad was R.B. Mason (who later worked with the Illinois Central Railway). He was succeeded by George W. Whistler Jr. In 1854, James Henry Hoyt of Stamford, Connecticut
became the third superintendent. When the railroad's first track was built in the 1840s, Hoyt had been a contractor grading portions of it, building bridges, and supplying ties. He then supplied the railroad with fuel and was again a heavy contractor when the second track was built.
The eastern half of the north shore line, from New Haven east to New London, was chartered in 1848 as the New Haven and New London Railroad, opening in 1852. In 1856 it was consolidated with the unbuilt New London and Stonington Railroad to form the New Haven, New London and Stonington Railroad, which was leased by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
in 1859. The part east to Stonington was never built (instead being built by the NYP&B), and the company was reorganized as the Shore Line Railway
in 1865. The NY&NH leased it on November 1, 1870 as an eastern extension of its line.
On September 7, 1870 the NY&NH and Hartford and New Haven Railroad
agreed to consolidate into one continuous line from New York to Springfield, Massachusetts
. This merger happened on July 24, 1872, forming the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
. The line has since passed into Penn Central, Conrail and is now mostly part of Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
, with additional passenger service provided by Metro-North Railroad
. The state of Connecticut currently owns the line from New Haven to the Connecticut border, and Metro-North controls the line from New Rochelle to New Haven. Just as in 1849, the line still merges with the current Harlem Line in the Williams Bridge section of the Bronx to get to Grand Central.
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...
to New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
along the shore of the Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. It opened in 1849, and in 1872 it merged with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad
Hartford and New Haven Railroad
The Hartford and New Haven Railroad was an important direct predecessor of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Its railroad commenced service in 1844 and ended independent operations in 1872...
to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New 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...
. The line is now the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
New Haven Line
New Haven Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
and part of 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 Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
.
History
In the early days of railroads, building a line along the north shore of the Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
was considered difficult due to the many rivers that fed into it. Thus the first all-rail 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...
-Boston lines ran north via the predecessors to the New York Central and the Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
). Other routes involved combined water and rail routes, some going east via the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
, other departing the East River waterfront of New York for ports in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts. However, railroad technology soon improved, and the New York and New Haven Railroad was chartered June 20, 1844 to build such a line from New York to New Haven, where it would connect to the Hartford and New Haven Railroad
Hartford and New Haven Railroad
The Hartford and New Haven Railroad was an important direct predecessor of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Its railroad commenced service in 1844 and ended independent operations in 1872...
, which itself connected to the future Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
at Springfield.
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the New York and Harlem Railroad
New York and Harlem Railroad
The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem...
from Williamsbridge (now part of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
) south into New York City (along the line that now ends at 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...
).
On July 11, 1848, the recently opened New Haven and Northampton Company, running north from New Haven to Plainville, was leased to the NY&NH. On February 16, 1850, the second part of the line to Granby was also leased; the rest of the line north into Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
was never leased. Both leases expired June 30, 1869, and the company operated independently until 1887, when the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New 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...
leased it.
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
became the third superintendent. When the railroad's first track was built in the 1840s, Hoyt had been a contractor grading portions of it, building bridges, and supplying ties. He then supplied the railroad with fuel and was again a heavy contractor when the second track was built.
The eastern half of the north shore line, from New Haven east to New London, was chartered in 1848 as the New Haven and New London Railroad, opening in 1852. In 1856 it was consolidated with the unbuilt New London and Stonington Railroad to form the New Haven, New London and Stonington Railroad, which was leased by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, normally called the Stonington Line, was a major part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island...
in 1859. The part east to Stonington was never built (instead being built by the NYP&B), and the company was reorganized as the Shore Line Railway
Shore Line Railway (Connecticut)
The Shore Line Railway was a part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system, running east from New Haven, Connecticut to New London along the north shore of Long Island Sound...
in 1865. The NY&NH leased it on November 1, 1870 as an eastern extension of its line.
On September 7, 1870 the NY&NH and Hartford and New Haven Railroad
Hartford and New Haven Railroad
The Hartford and New Haven Railroad was an important direct predecessor of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Its railroad commenced service in 1844 and ended independent operations in 1872...
agreed to consolidate into one continuous line from New York to Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. This merger happened on July 24, 1872, forming the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New 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...
. The line has since passed into Penn Central, Conrail and is now mostly part of 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 Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
, with additional passenger service provided by Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
. The state of Connecticut currently owns the line from New Haven to the Connecticut border, and Metro-North controls the line from New Rochelle to New Haven. Just as in 1849, the line still merges with the current Harlem Line in the Williams Bridge section of the Bronx to get to Grand Central.