Hudson Subdivision

Last updated

Amtrak Hudson Line
Amtrak logo.svg
Amtrak Autumn Express leaving Rhinecliff, October 2017.jpg
An Amtrak train near Rhinecliff station in 2017
Overview
Other name(s)CSX Hudson Subdivision
Owner CSX Transportation
Locale Upstate New York
Termini
Stations5
Service
System Amtrak/CSX Transportation
Services6
Operator(s) Amtrak
Technical
Line length104.6 mi (168.3 km)
Number of tracks1-2
CharacterAt-grade
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed110 mph (180 km/h)
Signalling Cab signalling
Route map

Contents

BSicon CONTg.svg
Hudson Line (Empire Corridor)
to Grand Central Terminal
BSicon ACC.svg
Poughkeepsie
BSicon eHST.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Staatsburgh
BSicon ACC.svg
Rhinecliff
BSicon eHST.svg
Barrytown
BSicon eHST.svg
Tivoli
BSicon eHST.svg
Germantown
BSicon eHST.svg
Linlithgo
BSicon eHST.svg
Greendale
BSicon ACC.svg
Hudson
BSicon eHST.svg
Greendale
BSicon eHST.svg
Stockport
BSicon eHST.svg
Newton Hook
BSicon eHST.svg
BSicon ABZg2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon STRc12.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon POINTERg@fq.svg
BSicon STR3+4.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon KRZ3+1u.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon STR+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Schodack Landing
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon STRl.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon LSTRq.svg
BSicon POINTERg@fq.svg
BSicon LSTR+r.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
Castleton
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZr+2g.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon POINTER1.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon ABZg+4.svg
BSicon ACC.svg
Albany–Rensselaer
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr+r.svg
Former Troy & Greenbush Railroad
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CONTg.svg
BSicon ABZgxl+l.svg
BSicon eBHFr.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon ABZg3.svg
BSicon STR2+1.svg
BSicon STRc34.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon KRZl+4u.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon ACC.svg
Schenectady
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon KRZ3+lu.svg
BSicon LSTRq.svg
BSicon LSTRr.svg
BSicon POINTERf@gq.svg
BSicon STR2+1.svg
BSicon STRc34.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon ABZg+4.svg
BSicon CONTf.svg

The Amtrak Hudson Line, also known as the CSX Hudson Subdivision, is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation and leased by Amtrak in the U.S. state of New York. [1] The line runs from Poughkeepsie north along the east shore of the Hudson River to Rensselaer and northwest to Hoffmans via Albany and Schenectady [2] along a former New York Central Railroad line. From its south end, CSX has trackage rights south to New York City along the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line. The Hudson Line junctions the Castleton Subdivision in Stuyvesant, Amtrak's Post Road Branch in Rensselaer and the Carman Subdivision in Schenectady. Its northwest end is at a merge with the Mohawk Subdivision. [3] [4] The entirety of the line overlaps with the Empire Corridor, one of Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration's candidate lines for future high-speed rail.

History

The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad opened a line from Albany to Schenectady in 1831. [5] The Utica and Schenectady Railroad opened from Schenectady west to Utica in 1836, including the present Hudson Subdivision west of Schenectady. [6] On the east side of the Hudson River, the Hudson River Railroad opened from New York City north to Rensselaer in 1851. [7] The original Hudson River crossing was the Hudson River Bridge, but the Livingston Avenue Bridge, the current crossing, opened in 1902. [8] The entire line became part of the New York Central, later Penn Central, and finally Conrail, through leases, mergers, and takeovers. The line was then assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail.

In October 2011, CSX and Amtrak reached an agreement for Amtrak to lease the line between Poughkeepsie and Schenectady, with Amtrak assuming maintenance and capital responsibilities. CSX will retain freight rights over the line, which hosts two freights a day. Amtrak has used federal funds to double-track the line between Rensselaer and Schenectady and add an additional station track at the Albany-Rensselaer station. Amtrak sees the lease as a key to improving Empire Service speeds and frequencies. [9] Amtrak officially assumed control on December 1, 2012, with trains in the section now dispatched by the Amtrak Control and Command Center in New York City. [1]

Services

Current service

As a segment of the Empire Corridor, the Hudson Line carries six Amtrak routes. The Empire Service , Berkshire Flyer , Lake Shore Limited , and Maple Leaf operate over the entire Hudson Line, while the Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express operate over all except for the small portion northwest of the Delaware and Hudson Railway junction in Schenectady. The trackage west of that junction to Hoffmans is owned by Amtrak and used by CSX via trackage rights.

The Hudson Line has four active stations: Schenectady, Albany–Rensselaer, Hudson, and Rhinecliff. Schenectady is served by five Amtrak services, while Albany-Rensselaer are served by all six Amtrak services, while Hudson is bypassed only by the Lake Shore Limited. Poughkeepsie station is also part of the Amtrak Hudson Line, although Metro-North owns trackage up to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the station.

Former service

Service on the line was originally established as the Hudson River Railroad in 1846, opened to Rensselaer in 1851, and later became part of the New York Central Railroad. Commuter service was always concentrated south of Poughkeepsie: by 1940, only three daily round trips – none of them timed for commuting to New York City – made local stops between Albany and Poughkeepsie. [10] By 1960, only a single daily round trip (timed for commuting to Albany) made local stops. [11] It was cut to a Hudson–Albany round trip with four intermediate stops by 1964, and discontinued around 1965; some intercity trains continued to stop at Rhinecliff and Hudson. [12] [13] [14] The New York Central merged into Penn Central in 1968, which in turn became Conrail in 1976. Amtrak took over intercity passenger service from Penn Central in 1971.

Stations

HD refers to the Hudson Division, the New York Central (and later Conrail) line that preceded Metro-North's Hudson Line.

LocationStationLine servicesConnections
ES ML LS AD EA HD
Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
City of Poughkeepsie Transit: Main Street
Dutchess County LOOP: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie Commuter Connection
Hyde Park Hyde Park
Staatsburg Staatsburgh
Rhinecliff Rhinecliff
Barrytown Barrytown
Tivoli Tivoli
Germantown Germantown
Livingston Linlithgo
Greenport Greendale
Hudson Hudson
Stockport Stockport
Stuyvesant Newton Hook
Stuyvesant
Schodack Landing Schodack Landing
Castleton-on-Hudson Castleton
Rensselaer Albany–Rensselaer Capital District Transportation Authority: NX Northway Express, 114, 214
Albany Albany Union Station
Schenectady Schenectady Capital District Transportation Authority: 351, 353, 354, 355, 370, 763, 905 BusPlus

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Maple Leaf</i> (train) International passenger train operated by Amtrak and Via Rail

The Maple Leaf is an international passenger train service operated by Amtrak and Via Rail between New York Penn Station in New York City and Union Station in Toronto via Amtrak's Empire Corridor, and the south western part of Via Rail's Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. Daily service is offered in both directions; the 544-mile (875 km) trip takes approximately 12 hours, including two hours for U.S. or Canadian customs and immigration inspection at either Niagara Falls, New York, or Niagara Falls, Ontario. Although the train uses Amtrak rolling stock exclusively, the train is operated by Via Rail crews while in Canada and by Amtrak crews in the United States. Service began in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Central Railroad</span> American Class I railroad (1853–1968)

The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midwest, along with the intermediate cities of Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Rochester and Syracuse. New York Central was headquartered in New York City's New York Central Building, adjacent to its largest station, Grand Central Terminal.

<i>Empire Service</i> Amtrak service between New York City, NY and Niagara Falls, NY

The Empire Service is an inter-city rail service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. The brand name originated with the New York Central Railroad in 1967. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service along the 460-mile (740 km) Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls via Albany, the state capital.

<i>Adirondack</i> (train) Amtrak service between New York City, NY and Montreal, QC

The Adirondack is a daily intercity passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Montreal. The scenic route follows the Empire Corridor through the Hudson Valley with major stops in Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, Albany–Rensselaer, and Schenectady. North of Saratoga Springs the route runs between the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain until crossing the Canada–U.S. border at Rouses Point. Trains take approximately 11 hours to travel the 381-mile (613 km) route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire Corridor</span> Federally designated high-speed rail corridor in the U.S. state of New York

The Empire Corridor is a 461-mile (742 km) passenger rail corridor in New York State running between Penn Station in New York City and Niagara Falls, New York. Major cities on the route include Poughkeepsie, Albany, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. Much of the corridor was once part of the New York Central Railroad's main line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livingston Avenue Bridge</span> Bridge in Albany and Rensselaer, New York

The Livingston Avenue Bridge is a railroad bridge over the Hudson River in New York connecting Albany and Rensselaer. The original structure was built in 1866 by the Hudson River Bridge Company but was replaced in 1901–02. A rotating swing bridge span allows large ships to proceed up the river.

The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad that ran from Weehawken, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River opposite New York City, north to Albany, New York, and then west to Buffalo. It was organized as a competitor to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, but was soon taken over by that company.

The St. Louis Line Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Indiana and Illinois. The line runs from Indianapolis, Indiana, west-southwesterly to East St. Louis, Illinois, along a former Conrail line, partly former New York Central Railroad trackage and partly former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton Subdivision (CSX Transportation)</span> Railway line in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

The Trenton Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The line runs from CP NICE in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, northeast to Port Reading Junction in Manville, New Jersey. The line was formerly part of the Reading Company system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Subdivision</span> Railway line in Massachusetts

The Boston Subdivision is a railroad line in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The line runs from Back Bay Station in Boston west to Wilbraham, just east of Springfield. along a former New York Central Railroad line. The line connects with the Northeast Corridor its east end and continues as the Berkshire Subdivision at its west end. Along the way, the line junctions with the Framingham Subdivision and Fitchburg Subdivision at Framingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire Subdivision</span> Railway line in Massachusetts and New York

The Berkshire Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and New York. The line runs from near Springfield, Massachusetts west to Schodack, New York, along a former New York Central Railroad line. Its east end is in Wilbraham, east of Springfield, at the west end of the Boston Subdivision. Its west end is just east of the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge, at a junction with the Castleton Subdivision and Schodack Subdivision. Along the way, the line junctions Amtrak's Post Road Branch in Schodack.

The Post Road Branch is a railroad line owned and operated by Amtrak in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from a junction with CSX Transportation's Berkshire Subdivision in Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, northwest to CSX's Hudson Subdivision at Rensselaer, New York, along a former New York Central Railroad line. Freight service is provided by CSX Transportation, who calls it the Post Road Subdivision, via trackage rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selkirk Subdivision</span> Railway line in New York

The Selkirk Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Selkirk northwest to Amsterdam along a former New York Central Railroad line. At its southeast end, at Selkirk Yard, the Selkirk Subdivision becomes the Castleton Subdivision. Its northwest end is at the east end of the Mohawk Subdivision, and it junctions the Carman Subdivision at Rotterdam and the Hudson Subdivision at Hoffmans.

The Castleton Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Schodack northwest to Selkirk along a former New York Central Railroad line. At its southeast end, it junctions with the Berkshire Subdivision and Schodack Subdivision. After crossing the Hudson River on the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge, it meets the River Subdivision and Port Subdivision at Selkirk and ends at Selkirk Yard, where the Selkirk Subdivision begins.

The Schodack Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Stuyvesant north to Schodack along a former New York Central Railroad line. At its south end, it merges with the Hudson Subdivision; its north is at a junction with the Berkshire Subdivision, and the Castleton Subdivision at the east end of the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge.

The Mohawk Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Amsterdam, NY west to Oneida, NY along the former New York Central Railroad main line. At its east end, east of downtown Amsterdam, the line becomes the Selkirk Subdivision. With the creation of the CSX Syracuse Terminal Subdivision, the west end is at Oneida, New York.

The Rochester Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Solvay, New York, west to Churchville, New York, along the former New York Central Railroad water level route. At its east end, west of downtown Syracuse, New York, the line continues west from the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision at Control Point (CP)-296. It intersects the West Shore Subdivision, which provides a southern bypass of Rochester, at Fairport (CP-359) and Churchville (CP-382). At its west end in Churchville the line becomes the Buffalo Terminal Subdivision.

The Lincoln Secondary is a railroad line owned and operated by Conrail in the U.S. state of Michigan as part of its Conrail Shared Assets Operations.

The Sunbury Line, formerly known as Sunbury Subdivision, is a rail line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway which in turn is owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The line travels from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, to Binghamton, New York, connecting with Norfolk Southern's Southern Tier Line at Binghamton and Norfolk Southern's Buffalo Line at Sunbury.

The Fort Wayne Line and Fort Wayne Secondary is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad (CFE), and CSX Transportation in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. The line runs from Pittsburgh, west via Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Gary, Indiana, along what was once the Pennsylvania Railroad's Pittsburgh to Chicago main line.

References

  1. 1 2 "Governor Cuomo Announces Hudson Rail Line Lease" (Press release). Albany, New York: New York State. December 4, 2012. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  2. "CSX Timetables: Hudson Subdivision". Archived from the original on November 26, 2002.
  3. "HN-Hudson Sub". The RadioReference Wiki.
  4. CSX Transportation (November 1, 2004). "Albany Division, Timetable No. 4" (PDF).
  5. "PRR Chronology, 1831" (PDF). (70.4  KiB), June 2004 Edition
  6. "PRR Chronology, 1836" (PDF). (93.3  KiB), June 2004 Edition
  7. "PRR Chronology, 1851" (PDF). (67.7  KiB), March 2005 Edition
  8. "6) Livingston Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation". Capital District Transportation Committee. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  9. Anderson, Eric (October 18, 2011). "Amtrak leasing track corridor". Times Union. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  10. Hudson Division | Mohawk Division | Time-Table No. 51 For Employees Only (PDF). New York Central Railroad. April 28, 1940.
  11. Hudson Division | New York Terminal Division | Time-Table No. 8 For Employees Only (PDF). New York Central Railroad. October 30, 1960.
  12. New York State Area Time Table (PDF). New York Central Railroad. October 25, 1964.
  13. "I.C.C. Examiner Backing Request for End of Rail Service". The Glen Falls Times. March 3, 1965. p. 5 via Newspapers.com.
  14. Time Table No. 19 For Employees Only (PDF). New York Central Railroad. April 24, 1966.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Hudson Subdivision at Wikimedia Commons