Construction begins to reactivate Staten Island Railroad
Construction has begun on the reactivation of the eight-mile Staten Island Railroad to provide rail-freight access to Staten Island. The $72-million project is a joint venture of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Something for northeast railfans to be happy about. Is this going to mainly haul building materials, or is there some industry on the island?
Major new intermodal terminal.
LC
who are they going to interchange with? who is going to get the majority of the traffic?
csx engineer
Am I mistaken, I thought the former Rahway Valley RR was also to be partially reopen?
I believe it will be part of Conrail SAA. So both CSX and NS will access it through SAA. On the Jersey side it will connect across the Arthur Kill Lift Bridge to the Chemical Coast Secondary. This is the new Howland Hook Container Terminal. There will also be connection to the major Fresh Kills Landfill and a nearby Paper Mill.
LC
cool…any word on the routing of the csx traffic?
csx engineer
None that I know of yet. This is a pretty big project ($70 Million+) including major bridge rehab and replacement (3 timber bridges will be replaced by concrete and steel) and is not expected to be completed until late 2006. Perhaps we’ll hear more on traffic and routings by then.
LC
ok… always good to hear new biz coming…just hope it comes my way… might help my divistion out…no such thing as to many trains…means more pool turns and extra board turns…more men working… its a good thing
csx engineer
Isn’t there also some port expansion in the works with this? That some ocean ships will tie up near St. George on Statin Island with rail access?
Also isn’t there also some talk about reviving the North Shore passenger service on ths Island itself using diesel mu’s?
how will the trains from Staten Island get across the NEC? Is there a flyover, or will the cross the NEC at grade-level, delaying AMTRAK and communter-trains?
Previous posts said that the Staten Island RR will connect to the chemical coast secondary. The chemical coast is a former CNJ line that is eastward of the NEC, so there is no need for trains to cross the NEC. I’m not familiar with the trafic patterns in NJ but my guess is that the chemical coast service is based out of Oak Island yard which is also east of the NEC. There are a number of former LV, CNJ and RDG lines that are part of the Conrail Shared Assets that have grade separated crossings of the NEC. The SPV atlas shows flyovers and underpasses on these lines.
Are the old Staten Island tracks still there, being rebuilt, or had they been removed?
One track is buried under heavy brush and trees from Mariners Harbor all the way to Snug Harbor, near St. George. But everytning West of Mariner’s Harbor was removed in Late summer 2003. The land has been cleared and flattened over the last year and a half. You can also see some of the original B&O trackage on the Travis branch which runs parallel to the island’s West shore. This track used to connect with the North shore Sub at Arlington Yard. Arlington no longer exists.
Most track removed is to come back fully rebuilt. The Howland Hook Container Terminal and waste moves from the Travis Branch will be the main moves. Visy Paper’s scrap paper-to-new paper plant on the Travis Branch will be a user, also.
There is also a lumber company (Dinaso) and brick company (Tranchina) on the west side of the island (no rail near them though at all), that currently receive their railed product in N.J., then truck in. They both will likely bring this into the island in the future then transload. The brick company was looking for a direct, rail served, Staten Island property that they could use as their own rail facility.
With the Nascar Stadium coming to the former Gulfport refinery site (served by B&O/SIRT via the west shore sub, later to become Travis Branch) will there be a grade crossing in Chelsea? Or will the track be elevated?
Hopefully the trains will arrive before the NASCAR stadium! I hear reports about NASCAR coming to Staten Island everyday on the local news - but nothing about the Trains!!!