Bay Ridge Branch
The Bay Ridge Branch is a rail line owned by the Long Island Rail Road and operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway in New York City. It is the longest freight-only line of the LIRR, connecting the Montauk Branch and CSX Transportation's Fremont Secondary at Glendale, Queens with the Upper New York Bay at Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Car float service provided by New York New Jersey Rail operates between Greenville Yard at Greenville, New Jersey and the 65th Street Yard at the Bay Ridge end of the line.
History
The first part of the line was opened by the New York, Bay Ridge and Jamaica Railroad in 1876, from Bay Ridge to the crossing of the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad near New Utrecht.An extension from New Utrecht east and northeast to New Lots opened in 1877, and at the same time the New York and Manhattan Beach Railway opened the line from New Lots north to East New York. An extension north from East New York to Cooper Avenue opened in 1878, and the Long Island City and Manhattan Beach Railroad built from Cooper Avenue north to the Montauk Branch at Glendale in 1883.
Passenger service on the line ended in 1924. The entire line was electrified, starting on July 8, 1927, for New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad freight trains coming off the New York Connecting Railroad. Electric operation ended on December 31, 1968.
Proposals
A proposed Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel from New Jersey to Brooklyn would use the Bay Ridge Branch to reach the rest of Long Island, with the line upgraded to double-stack clearances.Another proposal would have the New York City Subway use the tracks to link Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx via the Hell Gate Bridge. In 1996 the Regional Plan Association conducted a study to determine the feasibility of the rail link. Based on Paris's RER commuter rail system, the Triboro RX proposal would create a loop around the city. It was first proposed by the Regional Plan Association in 1996. The proposed line, discussion of which was revived in 2012, would connect to all non-shuttle subway services. Obstacles for the proposal include the proposed Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel, the lack of electrification on the line, and the single-tracking in some parts of the line. Additionally, there is debate on where the line's northern terminus would be: some, including MoveNY, call for it to end at Hunts Point, while others suggest it end at Yankee Stadium.
In mid-October 2019, the MTA announced that it would study the feasibility of restoring passenger service on the Bay Ridge Branch, a portion of the proposed Triboro RX route.
Former stations
The following passenger stations once existed on the line:| Station | Date opened | Date closed | Notes |
| 1893 | May 14, 1924 | Connection to 65th Street Yard | |
| June 2, 1883 | May 14, 1924 | ||
| June 2, 1883 | 1894 | Crossing with the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad | |
| June 2, 1883 | 1884 | Connection to the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad | |
| 1884 | 1915 | Former junction with the Manhattan Beach Branch | |
| June 29, 1878 | late 1878 | ||
| 1878 | May 14, 1924 | Originally named Flatlands | |
| July 18, 1877 | May 14, 1924 | ||
| 1888 | May 14, 1924 | Originally named Ford's Corners | |
| July 18, 1877 | 1897 | ||
| July 18, 1877 | May 14, 1924 | Junction with Atlantic Branch, originally named Manhattan Crossing | |
| July 18, 1877 | 1897 | Originally | |
| May 16, 1878 | May 1882 | Junction with Evergreen Branch | |
| 1888 | May 14, 1924 | Originally named Dummy Crossing, then Ridgewood | |
| May 16, 1878 | 1924 | ||
| June 2, 1883 | 1894 | Junction with Lower Montauk Branch, originally named Fresh Pond, continues as the New York Connecting Railroad |