TheStaten Island Railway (SIR)[3] is arapid transit line in theNew York Cityborough ofStaten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of theMetropolitan Transportation Authority, and operated by theNew York City Transit Authority Department of Subways. SIR's only line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing local service betweenSt. George andTottenville, along the east side of Staten Island. There is no direct rail link between the SIR and theNew York City Subway system, but SIR riders do receive a freetransfer to New York City Transit bus and subway lines and the line is included on officialNew York City Subway maps.[4] Commuters on the railway typically use theStaten Island Ferry to reachManhattan. The line is accessible from within the Ferry Terminal, and most of its trains are timed to connect with the ferry. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 4,743,000, or about 19,300 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025.
The railroad was incorporated in 1851 and was completed to Tottenville on June 2, 1860, as the Staten Island Rail Road. It was reorganized into the Staten Island Railway Company in 1873. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was operated successively by theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad and then thePennsylvania Railroad. Under these companies' control, the SIR formerly operated two other branches for passenger trains: theNorth Shore Branch from 1886 to 1953 and theSouth Beach Branch from 1888 to 1953. Operation of the Tottenville line was turned over to SIRTOA in 1971, and the line was purchased by the city of New York. The MTA rebranded the Staten Island Rapid Transit as the MTA Staten Island Railway in 1994.
The line has a route bullet similar to subway routes: the lettersSIR in a blue circle. The line is one of the few 24/7 mass-transit rail systems in the United States.[a] Although the railway was originally considered a standard rail line, the existing line is severed from thenational rail system, and only a small portion of the former North Shore Branch still sees freight use. The passenger operations are regulated as a rapid transit system and exempt from some regulations.[5] The line usesR211S subway cars.[6]
The Staten Island Rail Road was incorporated on August 2, 1851, afterPerth Amboy and Staten Island residents petitioned for aTottenville-to-Stapleton rail line. The railroad was financed with a loan fromCornelius Vanderbilt, the sole Staten Island-to-Manhattan ferry operator on theEast Shore, his first involvement in a railroad.[7] The line was completed to Tottenville on June 2, 1860.[8]: 7 [9]: 225 Under the leadership of Vanderbilt's brother, Jacob H. Vanderbilt, the Staten Island Rail Road took over several independent ferries.[10] The Staten Island Railway and ferry line made a modest profit until the explosion of the ferryWestfield at Whitehall Street Terminal on July 30, 1871.[8]: 7 [11]: 36 By July 1872, the railroad and ferry were inreceivership. On September 17, 1872, the company was sold toGeorge Law inforeclosure.[7][9]: 225–228 [12]: 462 The following April 1, the Staten Island Rail Road was transferred to the Staten Island Railway Company.[13]: 1255
By 1880 the railway was barely operational, and New York State sued (throughAttorney GeneralHamilton Ward) to dissolve the company in May of that year.[9]: 229 [14]Erastus Wiman, one of the island's most prominent residents, organized the Staten Island Rapid Transit Company (SIRT) on March 25, 1880, and partnered with theBaltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) to build a large rail terminal on the island and centralize the six-to-eight ferry landings.[8]: 7 [9]: 7 [11]: 37 He secured an extension on a land-purchase option from George Law by offering to name it "St. George" after him.[15]: 4 [16]: 8
Construction of theVanderbilt's Landing-to-Tompkinsville portion of theNorth Shore Branch began on March 17, 1884,[9]: 230 [11]: 37 [17] and the line opened for passenger service on August 1 of that year.[18] The lighthouse just above Tompkinsville impeded the line's extension to St. George but, after the SIRT lobbied for anact of Congress, construction of a two-track, 580-foot (180 m) tunnel under the lighthouse began in 1885 for about $190,000.[19]: 690 The SIR was leased to the B&O for 99 years in 1885.[8]: 7–8 [9]: 230 [11]: 37 Proceeds of the lease were used to complete the terminal at Saint George, pay for two miles of waterfront property, complete the Rapid Transit Railroad, build a bridge over theKill Van Kull atElizabethport, and build other terminal facilities.[20] The North Shore Branch opened for service on February 23, 1886, toElm Park.[19]: 690 The Saint George terminal opened on March 7, 1886, and all SIR lines were extended to the station.[9]: 231 [11]: 37 The remainder of the North Shore Branch, to its terminus atErastina, was opened in the summer of 1886.[8] On January 1, 1888, theSouth Beach Branch opened for passenger service toArrochar.[21]: 257–258 [22] In 1893, theSouth Beach Branch was extended fromArrochar to a new terminal atSouth Beach.[23] The new lines opened by the B&O were known as the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway, and the original line (fromClifton to Tottenville) was called the Staten Island Railway.[24]
In 1886, Congress passed a law authorizing the construction of a 500-foot (150 m)swing bridge over Arthur Kill, after three years of effort by Wiman.[11][25] The bridge was completed three days early, on June 13, 1888, at 3 p.m.[7][12][26] The Arthur Kill Bridge was the world's largest drawbridge when it opened, and there were no fatalities in its construction.[25] In 1889, construction began on theBaltimore and New York Railway— 5.25-mile (8.45 km) line from Arthur Kill to theJersey Central at Cranford, and was finished later in the year. On January 1, 1890, the first train operated fromSt. George Terminal toCranford Junction.[8]: 8 [27][28] When the Arthur Kill Bridge was completed, theUnited States War Department was unsuccessfully pressured by theLehigh Valley andPennsylvania Railroads to have the newly built bridge replaced with a bridge with a different design; according to the railroads, it was an obstruction to navigation of the large numbers of coal barges past Holland Hook on Arthur Kill.[11] In 1897, the terminal at Saint George (which served the railroad and the ferry to Manhattan) was completed.[9]
Improvements were made to the SIRT after thePennsylvania Railroad (PRR) took control of the B&O in 1900,[29]: 194–195, 199–200 after which the B&O became profitable again.[30][better source needed] On October 25, 1905, New York City took ownership of the ferry and terminals and evicted the B&O from the Whitehall Street terminal. TheSt. George Terminal was then built by the city for $2,318,720, equivalent to $81,146,612 in 2024.[31]
In anticipation of atunnel underthe Narrows toBrooklyn and a connection there with theBMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, the SIRT electrified its lines withthird rail power distribution and cars similar to those of theBrooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT).[32] The first electric train was operated on theSouth Beach Branch betweenSouth Beach andFort Wadsworth on May 30, 1925, and the other branches were electrified by November of that year.[32][33] Electrification did not greatly increase traffic, and the tunnel was never built.[34] During the 1920s, a branch line along Staten Island's West Shore was built to haul building materials for theOuterbridge Crossing.[8]: 111 The branch was cut back to a point south of the crossing after the bridge was built. TheGulf Oil Corporation opened a dock and tank farm alongArthur Kill in 1928; to serve it, theTravis Branch was built south fromArlington Yard into the marshes of the island's western shore toGulfport in the early 1930s.[8]: 41 [35]
The Port Richmond–Tower Hill viaduct, the nation's largest grade-crossing-elimination project, was completed on February 25, 1937. The viaduct, more than a mile long, spanned eight grade crossings on the SIRT'sNorth Shore Branch and was the final part of a $6 million grade-crossing-elimination project on the island which eliminated thirty-four crossings on its north and south shores.[36]
| Year | Traffic |
|---|---|
| 1925 | 67 |
| 1944 | 81 |
| 1960 | 37 |
| 1967 | 38 |
Freight andWorld War II traffic helped pay some of the SIRT's accumulated debt, and the line was briefly profitable in the 1940s. AllEast Coast military-hospital trains were handled by the SIRT during the war, and some trains stopped at Staten Island'sArlington station to transfer wounded soldiers to a large military hospital. The need to transport warmateriel, POW trains and troops made the stretch of the Baltimore & New York Railway between Cranford Junction and Arthur Kill extremely busy.[30] The B&O also operated special trains for important officials, such asWinston Churchill.[37] On June 25, 1946, a fire destroyed the St. George Terminal; three people were killed, twenty-two were injured and damage totaled $22 million.[9]: 239 [11] The fire destroyed the ferry terminal, the four slips used for service to Manhattan and the SIRT terminal.[38][39] Normal service was not restored until July 13, 1946, and a request for bids to build a temporary terminal was issued on August 21 of that year. On February 10, 1948, a replacement terminal was promised by MayorWilliam O'Dwyer. The new $23 million terminal opened on June 8, 1951, with ferry, bus and rail service in one building; portions of the new terminal were phased into service earlier.[9]: 240 [40]: 55 [41]
Ridership decreased from 12.3 million in 1947 to 4.4 million in 1949 as passengers switched from the rail line to city-operated buses due to a bus-fare reduction.[42] In September 1948, about half of weekday trains were cut, night trains after 1:29 a.m. were cancelled, and thirty percent of the company's employees werelaid off.[43][44][45] After backlash, service was slightly increased.[46] On September 22, theInterstate Commerce Commission allowed the SIRT to abandon the ferry it had operated for 88 years betweenTottenville andPerth Amboy, New Jersey, and the ferry operation was transferred to Sunrise Ferries ofElizabeth, New Jersey on October 16.[47][48] SIRT discontinued passenger service on the North Shore Branch and the South Beach Branch at midnight on March 31, 1953, due to competition from city-operated buses; the South Beach Branch was abandoned shortly afterwards, and the North Shore Branch continued to carry freight.[49][50] On September 7, 1954, SIRT applied to discontinue passenger service on the Tottenville Branch on October 7 of that year;[51] a large city subsidy allowed passenger service on the branch to continue.[7]
In 1956, work began on the replacement of the Arthur Killswing bridge by a single-track, 558-foot (170 m)vertical-lift bridge, which opened in August 1959.[11]: 135 [52] The prefabricated, 2,000-ton bridge was floated into place.[8]: 8 Thenew bridge could rise 135 feet (41 m) and, since it aided navigation on Arthur Kill, the federal government assumed 90% of the project's $11 million cost. Freight trains started crossing the bridge when it opened on August 25, 1959.[29]: 349 TheTravis Branch was extended in 1958 to a newConsolidated Edison power plant in Travis (on the West Shore), allowing coal trains fromWest Virginia to serve the plant.[8]: 8
Operation of the Tottenville line was turned over to the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (a division of the state'sMetropolitan Transportation Authority) on July 1, 1971, and the line was purchased by the city of New York.[53] As part of the agreement, freight on the line would continue to be handled by the B&O under the Staten Island Railroad.[8]: 9 The first sixR44 cars (the same as the newest cars then in use on the subway lines in the other boroughs) were put into SIRT service on February 28, 1973, replacing theME-1 cars which had been in service since 1925.[54] Between 1971 and 1973, a project began to extend the high-level platforms at six stations.[55]: 11–12, 49, 52 A station-rebuilding program began in 1985, and the line's R44s were overhauled starting in 1987.[56]
The B&O became part of the largerChessie System in a merger with theChesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), and the island's freight operation was renamed the Staten Island Railroad Corporation in 1971.[11]: 174 The B&O and C&O became isolated from their other properties in New Jersey and Staten Island with the creation ofConrail on April 1, 1976, in a merger of bankrupt lines in the northeastern U.S. Their freight service now terminated inPhiladelphia, but for several years afterward B&O locomotives and one B&O freight train a day ran toCranford Junction.[11]: 174 [57] In 1973, theJersey Central'scar float yard was closed;[58] however, the B&O's car-float operation was later brought back to Staten Island at Saint George Yard, after having ended in September 1976. This car-float operation was taken over by the New York Dock Railway in September 1979, and ended the following year.[11]: 173
Only a few isolated industries on Staten Island continued to use rail services, and the yard at Saint George was essentially abandoned.[8]: 9 In April 1985, as a result of a decline in freight traffic, the Chessie System sold the Staten Island Railway to theNew York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W), aDelaware Otsego (DO) subsidiary, for $1.5 million via a promissory note payable for over ten years.[59] The NYS&W subsequently retained the Staten Island's freight operations, which served only ten customers by that time, and they had hopes of attracting more to boost profitability on the line.[59] In 1989, the NYS&W embargoed the trackage east ofElm Park on theNorth Shore Branch, ending all freight service to Saint George.
Procter & Gamble, the line's primary customer, closed in 1990, resulting in a further decline in freight traffic. On July 25, 1991, the Arthur Kill Bridge was removed from service, and the line's final freight train operated on April 21, 1992.[60] The North Shore Branch and the Arthur Kill Bridge were then taken over by Chessie's successor,CSX Transportation (CSX). The line and bridge were sold again in 1994 to theNew York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), followed by a decade of false starts.[8]: 9
SIRT was transferred from the New York City Transit Authority's Surface Transit Division to its Department of Rapid Transit on July 26, 1993,[61] and that year theDongan Hills station became accessible, making it compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[62]MetroCards were accepted for fare payment at the St. George station beginning on March 31, 1994, and the station became the 50th MTA rapid transit station to accept them.[63] TheMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) restored the line's original name on April 2 of that year as the MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR).[8]: 9 [64] On July 4, 1997, the MTA eliminated fares for travel betweenTompkinsville andTottenville as part of the year's "One City, One Fare" fare reductions.[65] United Transportation Union Local 1440, the union representing SIR employees, was concerned about the fare reduction in part because of an expected increase in ridership.[66] No turnstiles were installed at the other stations on the line, and passengers at St. George began paying when entering and exiting;[67] fares had previously been collected on board by the conductor.[68] The removal of fares was blamed for an immediate spike in crime along the line.[69] Three afternoon express trains were added to the schedule on April 7, 1999, nearly doubling the previous express service. The express trains skipped stops between St. George and Great Kills.[70] A several-hundred-foot section of the easternmost portion of the North Shore Branch was reopened for passenger service to theRichmond County Bank Ballpark, home of theStaten Island Yankees minor-league baseball team, on June 24, 2001; the service was discontinued on June 18, 2010.[71] A new station building atTompkinsville opened on January 20, 2010, withturnstiles installed to prevent passengers from exiting (free of charge) at Tompkinsville and walking the short distance to the St. George ferry terminal.[72]
In the 2010s, elected officials on Staten Island, including State SenatorDiane Savino, demanded the replacement of the railway's aging R44 cars.[73] Although the Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially planned to orderR179s for the Staten Island Railway, it was later decided to overhaulR46s to replace the R44s.[74] However, the R46 overhaul plan was also dropped, and 75R211S cars were ordered to replace the R44s.[75][76] The first R211S cars entered service in October 2024,[77][78] fully replacing the R44s by September 2025.[79][80]
Although the Staten Island Railway originally consisted of three lines, only the north-south Main Line is in passenger service. It has beengrade-separated from all roads since the 1960s, but runs more or less at street level for a brief stretch north of Clifton, between theGrasmere andOld Town stations, and from south of thePleasant Plains station to Tottenville—the end of the line. The terminus at St. George provides a direct connection with theStaten Island Ferry.[81] St. George has twelve tracks, ten of which are in service.Tottenville has a three-track yard to the east of the station, which itself has two tracks and an island platform.[82]: 102
Rolling stock consists of seventy-fiveR211S subway cars manufactured byKawasaki Railcar Manufacturing.[83][84] The first R211S cars entered service on October 8, 2024,[77][78] and the final cars were placed into service less than a year later in September 2025.[79][80] The line also has fourBL20G locomotives manufactured byBrookville, which were delivered in 2009 and are used for work service.[85] Heavy maintenance is performed at NYCT's Clifton Shops, and any work unable to be done at Clifton requires the cars to be trucked over theVerrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the subway'sConey Island Complex inBrooklyn. Theright-of-way includes elevated, embankment and open-cut sections, as well as a tunnel near St. George.[82]: 102–103 Prior to 2025, the Staten Island Railway used modifiedR44 subway-type cars built in early 1973,[55]: 53 added to the end of the R44 order of subway cars for New York City Transit; they were the last cars built by theSt. Louis Car Company.[86][87] The R44s themselves replaced theME-1 rolling stock inherited from the B&O that had remained in continuous service since 1925 when the system was electrified.[55]: 49, 52 [86]: 175 [54]
The Staten Island Railway uses Baltimore & Ohio Railroad-stylecolor position light signals dating back to its B&O days. In 2007, a $72-million project to enhance the old signal system was completed. The Signaling system was enhanced with an FRA-compliant 100 Hz, track-circuit-based automatic train control (ATC) signal system. As part of the project, forty R44 subway cars and four locomotives were modified with onboard cab signaling equipment for ATC bi-directional movement. A new rail control center and backup control center were built as part of the project.[88] The line usesNYC Transit-standard 600 V DC third-rail power.[89] Trains run up to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) in passenger service, although trains are limited to 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) on tail tracks, sidings and in yards.[90]
Demetrius Crichlow has been the railway's president and chief officer since his appointment in October 2024.[91][92] The workforce, about 200hourly employees, is represented byUnited Transportation Union Local 1440.[93]
Only theDongan Hills,St. George,Great Kills,New Dorp andTottenville stations have been renovated to comply with theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990; these stations have elevators and/or ramps.[94][95] As part of the MTA's 2020–2024 capital plan, two additional stations are planned to be renovated to become ADA-accessible,Huguenot andClifton.[96]
ThePrince's Bay,Huguenot,Annadale, Great Kills, Dongan Hills, and Arthur Kill stations havepark-and-ride facilities. The newest station on the Staten Island Railway,Arthur Kill, opened on January 21, 2017, and is ADA-compliant. The station is between (and has replaced) the now-demolishedAtlantic andNassau stations, which were in the poorest condition of all the stations on the line.[97][98]
On June 1, 2005, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Police Department was disbanded and its 25 railroad police officers became part of theMetropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department. The MTA Police Department was created in 1998 with the merger of theLong Island Rail Road Police Department and theMetro-North Railroad Police Department. The MTA Police Department then opened its newest patrol district, Police District #9, which began covering the Staten Island Railway.[99][100]
As of 2025[update], the cash fare is $2.90, the same fare as the New York City Subway andMTA buses.[101] Fares are paid on entry and exit only atSt. George andTompkinsville. Rides not originating or terminating at St. George or Tompkinsville are free.[102] Fares are payable byMetroCard orOMNY.[101] Since the card enables free transfers for a continuous ride on the subway and bus systems, for many riders there is effectively no fare for riding the SIR, as long as they do not need to make a second transfer. Riders can also transfer between a Staten Island bus, the SIR and a Manhattan bus (or subway) nearSouth Ferry.[102] Because of this, the SIR's 2001farebox recovery ratio was 0.16; for every dollar of expense, 16 cents was recovered in fares (the lowest ratio of MTA agencies).[103] The low farebox recovery ratio is part of the reason the MTA sought to merge the SIR with the subway to form MTA Subways in October 2002: to simplify accounting and subsidy of a single line.[104]
Before the 1997 introduction of the one-fare zone,[105] with the MetroCard's free transfers from the SIR to the subway system and MTA buses, fares were collected from passengers boarding at stops other than St. George by onboard conductors.[106] In the past, passengers had avoided paying the fare by exiting at Tompkinsville and walking a short distance to the St. George Ferry Terminal. As a result, the MTA installedturnstiles at Tompkinsville and a new station building, which opened on January 20, 2010.[72]
On October 23, 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced byOMNY, acontactless fare payment system also by Cubic, with fare payment being made usingApple Pay,Google Pay, debit/credit cards withnear-field communication technology, orradio-frequency identification cards.[107][108] The St. George and Tompkinsville stations, the only two Staten Island Railway stations with turnstiles, received OMNY readers in December 2019.[109]
During the early 2000s, plans to reopen the Staten Island Rapid Transit line in New Jersey were announced by thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). Since theCentral Railroad of New Jersey became aNew Jersey Transit line, a new junction would be built to the formerLehigh Valley Railroad. So all New England and southern freight could pass through the New York metropolitan area, two rail tunnels from Brooklyn (one to Staten Island and the other toGreenville, New Jersey) were planned.[110]
On December 15, 2004, a $72 million project to reactivate freight service on Staten Island and repair theArthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge was announced by the NYCEDC and the PANYNJ. Projects on the Arthur Kill Bridge included repainting the steel superstructure and rehabilitating its lift mechanism.[111] In 2006, the freight line connection reopened from New Jersey to the Staten Island Railroad, including the Arthur Kill Bridge.[112] Regular service began on April 2, 2007 (16 years after it had closed)[113] to ship container freight from theHowland Hook Marine Terminal and other industrial businesses. The service at the marine terminal is part of the PANYNJ'sExpressRail system completed with of the single-trackChemical Coast connector.[114][115] Service is provided by andConrail Shared Assets Operations (CRCX) for its co-owners,CSX,Norfolk Southern Railway.
As part of the project, a portion of the North Shore Branch was rehabilitated, theArlington Yard was expanded, and 6,500 feet (1,981 m) of new track was laid along theTravis Branch toStaten Island Transfer Station at Fresh Kills.[116] Soon after service restarted on the line, MayorMichael Bloomberg officially commemorated the reactivation on April 17, 2007.[117] As of 2019, the New York City Department of Sanitation's contractor was moving containers of municipal solid waste by barge from Queens and Manhattan to the Howland Hook Marine Terminal for transfer to rail there.[118]
Along the remainder of the North Shore Branch, there are still tracks and rail overpasses in some places.[119][120]: 15–17
| Annual passenger ridership | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Passengers | %± |
| 1860 | 63,641 | — |
| 1870 | 336,706 | +429.1% |
| 1880 | 390,151 | +15.9% |
| 1890 | 6,539,318 | +1576.1% |
| 1900 | 4,439,506 | -32.1% |
| 1901 | 4,212,303 | -5.1% |
| 1902 | 4,238,630 | +21.9% |
| 1903 | 4,302,858 | +2.1% |
| 1904 | 4,586,182 | +6.6% |
| 1905 | 4,724,041 | +3.0% |
| 1906 | 5,161,134 | +9.3% |
| 1907 | 5,944,696 | +15.2% |
| 1908 | 5,649,116 | −5.0% |
| 1909 | 5,237,373 | −7.3% |
| 1910 | 6,014,928 | +14.8% |
| 1911 | 6,218,316 | +3.4% |
| 1912 | 6,461,635 | +3.9% |
| 1913 | 6,636,336 | +2.7% |
| 1914 | 6,979,126 | +5.1% |
| 1915 | 6,943,302 | -0.5% |
| 1916 | 7,563,066 | +8.9% |
| 1917 | 8,378,779 | +10.8% |
| 1918 | 9,269,902 | +10.6% |
| 1919 | 10,204,511 | +10.1% |
| 1920 | 13,011,958 | +27.5% |
| 1921 | 11,181,785 | -14.1% |
| 1922 | 10,686,439 | -4.4% |
| 1923 | 11,130,382 | +4.2% |
| 1924 | 11,828,314 | +6.3% |
| 1925 | 12,443,909 | +5.2% |
| 1926 | 13,000,311 | +4.5% |
| 1927 | 13,384,913 | +3.0% |
| 1928 | 13,569,054 | +1.4% |
| 1929 | 14,783,080 | +9.0% |
| 1930 | 14,318,178 | -3.1% |
| 1931 | 12,999,636 | -9.2% |
| 1932 | 10,892,762 | -16.2% |
| 1933 | 9,710,103 | -10.9% |
| 1934 | 9,129,112 | -6.0% |
| 1935 | 8,757,275 | -4.1% |
| 1936 | 9,422,276 | +7.6% |
| 1937 | 8,735,704 | +7.3% |
| 1938 | 8,933,096 | +2.3% |
| 1939 | 8,636,683 | -3.3% |
| 1945 | 14,811,466 | +71.5% |
| 1946 | 13,578,376 | -8.3% |
| 1947 | 12,295,221 | -9.4% |
| 1948 | 8,696,218 | -29.3% |
| 1949 | 4,424,410 | -49.1% |
| 1950 | 3,878,071 | -12.3% |
| 1951 | 3,984,476 | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 6,400,000 | +60.6% |
| 1965 | 5,700,000 | -10.9% |
| 1968 | 5,330,000 | -6.5% |
| 1969 | 5,240,000 | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 4,760,000 | -19.5% |
| 1971 | 4,720,000 | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 4,100,000 | -13.1% |
| 1986 | 6,470,000 | +57.8% |
| 1988 | 6,230,000 | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 5,100,000 | -18.1% |
| 1996 | 4,900,000 | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 4,600,000 | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 4,108,000 | -10.7% |
| 1999 | 3,946,242 | -3.9% |
| 2000 | 4,088,000 | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 3,963,590 | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 3,594,677 | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 4,600,000 | +28% |
| 2022 | 2,009,000 | -56% |
| [121][122][123][124][125] | ||
There has been discussion of building anin-fill station in the Rosebank neighborhood, which would bridge the longest gap between two stations (Grasmere andClifton). The area was once home to theRosebank station on the railway's now-defunct South Beach Branch, which was located east of the proposed station site.[73]: 17–18
Several proposals have been made to connect the SIR to the subway system, including the abandoned, unfinishedStaten Island Tunnel and a line along theVerrazzano-Narrows Bridge usingB Division cars andloading gauge, but economic, political and engineering difficulties have prevented these projects from realization.[134][135]
In a 2006 report, theStaten Island Advance explored the restoration of passenger service on 5.1 miles (8.2 km) of theNorth Shore Branch between St. George andArlington. Completion of a study is necessary to qualify the project for an estimated $360 million. A preliminary study found that ridership could reach 15,000 daily.[136] U.S. SenatorChuck Schumer of New York requested $4 million of federal funding for a detailed feasibility study.[137] In 2012, the MTA released an analysis of North Shore transportation solutions which included proposals for the reintroduction of heavy rail,light rail orbus rapid transit using the North Shore line's right-of-way. Other options includedsystem management, which would improve existing bus service, and the possibility of future ferry andwater taxi service. Bus rapid transit was preferred for its cost ($352 million in capital investment) and relative ease of implementation. In January 2018, the project had yet to receive funding.[138]: 61 As part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program, $4 million was allocated for an analysis ofStaten Island light rail.[139]
| Station service legend | |
|---|---|
 | Stops 24 hours a day |
 | Stops during weekday rush hours only |
 | Stops during weekday rush hours in the peak direction only |
| Time period details | |
 | Station is compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act |
| ↑ | Station is compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only |
| ↓ | |
 | Elevator access to mezzanine only |
| Normal service | Peak services | Station | Opened | Closed | Connections, notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lcl | AM exp | PM exp | |||||
| | | | St. George Terminal | March 7, 1886[140] |  Staten Island Ferry toWhitehall Terminal NYCT Bus:S40,S42,S44,S46,S48,S51,S52,S61,S62,S66,S74,S76,S78,S81,S84,S86,S90,S91,S92,S94,S96,S98[141] | |
| | | | | | Tompkinsville | July 31, 1884[7] | NYCT Bus: S46, S48, S51, S61, S62, S66, S74, S76, S78, S81, S84, S86, S91, S92, S96, S98[141] | |
| | | | | | Stapleton | July 31, 1884[7] | NYCT Bus: S51, S52, S74, S76, S78, S81, SIM30[141] | |
| | | | | | Clifton | April 23, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S51[141] OriginallyVanderbilt's Landing; no access from last car northbound[3] | |
| | | | | | Grasmere | 1886 | NYCT Bus:S53[141] | |
| | | | | | Old Town | 1937[142] | OriginallyOld Town Road | |
| | | | | | Dongan Hills | April 23, 1860[7] | OriginallyGarretson's | |
| | | | | | Jefferson Avenue | 1937[143] | ||
| | | | | | Grant City | April 23, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S51, S81[141] | |
| | ↑ | | | New Dorp | April 23, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus:S57, S76, S86[141] | |
| | ↑ | | | Oakwood Heights | April 23, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S57[141] OriginallyRichmond,[144] thenCourt House,[145] thenOakwood | |
| | ↑ | | | Bay Terrace | Early 1900s | Replaced olderWhitlock[146] | |
| | | | Great Kills | April 23, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus:S54,SIM5,SIM6[141] Southern terminus for select rush hour local trains[3] OriginallyGifford's | |
| * ↑ | | | Eltingville | April 23, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus:S59,S79 SBS,S89,SIM1,SIM7,SIM10,SIM22[141] | |
| Woods of Arden | 1886 | c. 1894–1895 | Closed | ||||
| * ↑ | | | Annadale | May 14, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus:S55,[141] SIM23 | |
| * ↑ | | | Huguenot | June 2, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S55,SIM2[141]SIM24 Some northbound local a.m. rush hour trips begin at this station[3] OriginallyBloomingview, thenHuguenot Park | |
| | | Prince's Bay | June 2, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S55,S56,SIM25[141] OriginallyLemon Creek, thenPrinces Bay | ||
| | | Pleasant Plains | June 2, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S55,SIM26[141] | ||
| | | Richmond Valley | June 2, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus:SIM26[141] No access from last car[147] | ||
| Nassau | c. 1924[7] | January 21, 2017[148] | Replaced by Arthur Kill[148] | ||||
| | | Arthur Kill | January 21, 2017[148][97] | NYCT Bus: S74, S78, S84[141] | ||
| Atlantic | c.1909–1911[149] | January 21, 2017[148] | Replaced by Arthur Kill[148] | ||||
| | | Tottenville | June 2, 1860[7] | NYCT Bus: S74, S78, S84[141] | ||
The North Shore Branch closed to passenger service at midnight on March 31, 1953.[7][49][50] A small portion of the western end is used for freight service as part of theExpressRailintermodal network at theHowland Hook Marine Terminal. The network, which opened in 2007, connects to theChemical Coast after crossing theArthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge.[117][150] The North Shore Branch servedProcter & Gamble,[110]United States Gypsum,[151] shipbuilders and acar float at Saint George Yard.[11]: 173 A smaller eastern portion, which provided seasonal passenger service to theRichmond County Bank Ballpark station (where theStaten Island Yankees played), operated from June 24, 2001, to June 18, 2010.[152] In 2008, restoration was discussed along the mostly abandoned 6.1-mile (9.8 km) line as part of the island's light-rail plan.[136] Anenvironmental impact assessment is being worked on for the implementation of a bus rapid transit line on the North Shore Branch.[153]
![Tracks on the North Shore Branch eroding into the [[Kill Van Kull]]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBard_Av_SIRT_jeh.JPG)
| Miles | Name | Opened | Closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | St. George | March 7, 1886 | ||
| 0.1 | RCB Ballpark | June 24, 2001 | June 18, 2010[152] | |
| 0.7 | New Brighton | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 1.2 | Sailors' Snug Harbor | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 1.8 | Livingston | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 2.4 | West Brighton | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 3.0 | Port Richmond | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 3.4 | Tower Hill | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 3.9 | Elm Park | February 23, 1886[19]: 691 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 4.3 | Lake Avenue | 1937[143] | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 4.6 | Mariners Harbor | Summer 1886 | March 31, 1953[50] | Originally named Erastina |
| 4.9 | Harbor Road | 1935–1937[154] | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 5.2 | Arlington | 1889–1890 | March 31, 1953[50] | |
| 6.1 | Port Ivory | 1906 | 1948[8]: 39 |
The South Beach Branch opened on January 1, 1888, toArrochar,[21]: 257–258 [22] and was extended toSouth Beach in 1893.[23][26] The branch closed at midnight on March 31, 1953.[49][50] It was abandoned and demolished, except for a few segments: a concrete embankment at Clayton Street and Saint John's Avenue,[155] the Tompkins Avenue overpass,trestle over Robin Road inArrochar[156] and a filled-in bridge under McClean Avenue.[157][158] This 4.1-mile (6.6 km) line left the Main Line at40°37′08″N74°04′18″W / 40.61889°N 74.07167°W /40.61889; -74.07167 (south of the Clifton station), and was east of the Main Line. Although the right-of-way has been redeveloped, most of it is still traceable on maps; Lily Pond Avenue is built over the right of way where it passes under the Staten Island Expressway.[159]
The Robin Road trestle is the only remaining intact trestle along the former line. Developers purchased the land on either side of itsabutments during the early 2000s, and the developers, theNew York City Department of Transportation, and theNew York City Transit Authority all claimed ownership.Townhouses have been built on both sides of the trestle.[159][160]
| Miles | Name | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | Bachmann | January 1, 1888[21]: 257–258 [22] | 1937 |
| 2.1 | Rosebank | January 1, 1888[21]: 257–258 [22] | March 31, 1953[50] |
| 2.5 | Belair Road | January 1, 1888[21]: 257–258 [22] | March 31, 1953[50] |
| 2.7 | Fort Wadsworth | January 1, 1888[21]: 257–258 [22] | March 31, 1953[50] |
| 3.2 | Arrochar | January 1, 1888[21]: 257–258 [22] | March 31, 1953[50] |
| 3.5 | Cedar Avenue | 1931[161] | March 31, 1953[50] |
| 3.9 | South Beach | 1893[23] | March 31, 1953[50] |
| 4.1 | Wentworth Avenue | 1925[162] | March 31, 1953[50] |
TheTravis Branch, fromArlington Yard toFresh Kills, runs along the island'sWest Shore. The branch was built in 1928 to serveGulf Oil along theArthur Kill, south fromArlington Yard into the marshes to Gulfport.[35] It was extended to Travis to serve the newConsolidated Edison power plant in 1957.[8]: 47 In 2005, the branch was renovated and extended from the old Con Edison plant to theStaten Island Transfer Station at Fresh Kills; regular service to thetransfer station began in April 2007.[117]
TheMount Loretto Spur is an abandoned branch whose purpose was to serve theMount Loretto Children's Home. The spur diverged from the Main Line south ofPleasant Plains.[8]: 110 The B&O Railroad served the non-electrified branch, which had some industry and a passenger station, until 1950. Although its track was removed during the 1960s and 1970s, someties were visible until the 1980s. Acoal trestle is all that remains of the branch.[7]: 15
South of theRichmond Valley station, a non-electrified spur, branched off theTottenville-bound track. The spur, built in 1928, was called the West Shore Line by the B&O Railroad and delivered building materials to theOuterbridge Crossing construction site near Arthur Kill.[163] Years later, the track was used to serve a scrapyard owned by the Roselli Brothers.[8]: 111 This siding went out of service on June 14, 2011.[164] The track divided in two under Page Avenue, with the rails still in place.[165][166] The line's right-of-way, aneasement on property owned by Nassau Metals, was later used by CSX.[165]: 1–2 Although sections of the old tracks have been removed, others remain in the overgrowth.[167]
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