West Side Yard
Encyclopedia
The West Side Yard is a rail yard
owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
on the west side
of Manhattan
in New York City
. Used to store commuter rail trains operated by the Long Island Rail Road
, the 26.17 acres (105,906.3 m²) yard sits between West 30th Street, West 33rd Street, Tenth Avenue
and Twelfth Avenue.
The yard includes storage tracks, a six-track indoor shop for light maintenance, a 12-car long platform for car cleaning, and lockers and a break room for employees.
Before the yard opened in 1987, trains arriving at Penn Station
during the morning rush hour had to deadhead
back to Long Island
for midday storage. The West Side Yard also increased the LIRR's peak period capacity at Penn Station.
The Yard sits at the north end of the High Line, a former elevated rail line used for freight service that has been converted into a park, and south of the truck marshalling yard used by the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
.
later expanded the rail yards and used them as a freight terminal up until the 1970s.
The West Side Yard is named after John D. Caemmerer
, a New York State Senator from East Williston
who helped obtain $195.7 million for its construction.
During construction, an underground tunnel was built that allows Amtrak
trains from Penn Station to travel to Upstate New York
via the West Side Line
. Amtrak trains began using this tunnel on April 7, 1991; before this, Empire Service
trains originated from Grand Central Terminal
.
The West Side Yard was also designed to accommodate an overbuild in its air rights
, and space was left between the tracks for columns to support a platform above the tracks. Madison Square Garden
was considering to move to the site in the mid-1980s and the rail yards were also considered as a possible stadium site for the New York Yankees
. The rail yards were later proposed as the site of a sports complex containing a West Side Stadium
for the New York Jets
and the New York City bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The eastern portion of the West Side Yard (east of Eleventh Avenue) was rezoned for residential use in January 2005 as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project
. Following the defeat of the proposal to construct the West Side Stadium, the western portion of the rail yard was rezoned to accommodate residential and commercial development in December 2009.
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
on the west side
West Side (Manhattan)
The West Side of Manhattan refers to the side of Manhattan Island which abuts the Hudson River and faces New Jersey. Fifth Avenue, Central Park, and lower Broadway separate it from the East Side. The major neighborhoods on the West Side are West Harlem, Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, Upper...
of 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...
in 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...
. Used to store commuter rail trains operated by 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...
, the 26.17 acres (105,906.3 m²) yard sits between West 30th Street, West 33rd Street, Tenth Avenue
Tenth Avenue (Manhattan)
Tenth Avenue, known as Amsterdam Avenue north of 59th Street, is a north-south thoroughfare on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It carries uptown traffic as far as West 110th Street, also known as Cathedral Parkway for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine...
and Twelfth Avenue.
The yard includes storage tracks, a six-track indoor shop for light maintenance, a 12-car long platform for car cleaning, and lockers and a break room for employees.
Before the yard opened in 1987, trains arriving at Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
during the morning rush hour had to deadhead
Deadheading (railroads)
Deadheading is a term used in the railroad industry when a crew is transported from one terminal to another, or needs to be transported to pick up a train. When deadheading they may travel by train or auto....
back to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
for midday storage. The West Side Yard also increased the LIRR's peak period capacity at Penn Station.
The Yard sits at the north end of the High Line, a former elevated rail line used for freight service that has been converted into a park, and south of the truck marshalling yard used by the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is a large convention center located on Eleventh Avenue, between 34th and 38th streets, on the West side of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by architects I. M. Pei and partners. The revolutionary space frame structure was undertaken in 1979 and...
.
History
The site was originally used as a depot for the Hudson River Railroad for a line running down Eleventh Avenue, as trains were not permitted to operate south of West 32nd Street because of a fear of explosions. New York CentralNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
later expanded the rail yards and used them as a freight terminal up until the 1970s.
The West Side Yard is named after John D. Caemmerer
John D. Caemmerer
John D. Caemmerer was a New York State Senator representing what is now the 7th Senatorial District in northwestern Nassau County, New York.- Early Life & Career :...
, a New York State Senator from East Williston
East Williston, New York
East Williston is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 2,556 at the 2010 census.The Village of East Williston is in the Town of North Hempstead.- History :...
who helped obtain $195.7 million for its construction.
During construction, an underground tunnel was built that allows 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...
trains from Penn Station to travel to Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
via the West Side Line
West Side Line (NYCRR)
The West Side Line, also called the West Side Freight Line, is a railroad line on the west side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. North of Penn Station, from 34th Street, the line is used by Amtrak passenger service heading north via Albany to Toronto, Montreal and Chicago...
. Amtrak trains began using this tunnel on April 7, 1991; before this, Empire Service
Empire Service (Amtrak)
The Empire Service is a train service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service along the 460-mile Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls, New York...
trains originated 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...
.
The West Side Yard was also designed to accommodate an overbuild in its air rights
Air rights
Air rights are a type of development right in real estate, referring to the empty space above a property. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building gives one the right to use and develop the air rights....
, and space was left between the tracks for columns to support a platform above the tracks. Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
was considering to move to the site in the mid-1980s and the rail yards were also considered as a possible stadium site for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. The rail yards were later proposed as the site of a sports complex containing a West Side Stadium
West Side Stadium
The West Side Stadium was a proposed football stadium to be built on a platform over the rail yards on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City....
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the New York City bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The eastern portion of the West Side Yard (east of Eleventh Avenue) was rezoned for residential use in January 2005 as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project
Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project
The Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project is a New York City Department of City Planning and Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposal to encourage business development on Manhattan's far West Side along the Hudson River. The project initially included a rezoning of the Far West Side of...
. Following the defeat of the proposal to construct the West Side Stadium, the western portion of the rail yard was rezoned to accommodate residential and commercial development in December 2009.