The 150-year-old Staten Island Railway is one of the NYC Transit Authority's little known gems. There's no charge if you travel between any of the 20 intermediary stations. It serves the St. George Ferry Terminal for the ferry trip to Manhattan.
It travels the breadth of New York City's most suburban, least populous yet fastest growing borough, providing a vital connection to the Staten Island Ferry. It has a long and storied history, yet many know very little about it.
"A poster from the seven-and-a-half-mile-long rail line's opening day in 1860 boasted three daily trains between "Vanderbilt Landing," now Clifton, and Eltingville.
On July 1, 1971, New York City acquired the line from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority commenced operation for the city under a lease agreement. The name was changed to the Staten Island Railway in 1994.
Today's Railway runs for 14 miles and includes 22 stations. It now serves about 25,000 passengers each day."
For information on the railway, or SIR by its abbreviation, see its webpage on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority website.
Thanks to Streetsblog
Read the full story: Railway marking 150 years
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