New York Seeks to Revive its Freight Rail Industry

Winnie Hu reports on how the reopening of the 65th Street Rail Yard in Brooklyn last week is part of a wider, regional rail expansion effort that aims to revive the moribund industry in order to boost economic and environmental benefits.

2 minute read

July 25, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Emily Williams


The rail industry has, over the past few decades, been most notable for its decline in New York - think of the High Line, which replaced a derelict elevated freight line - rather than its contribution to the local economy. But city officials in New York believe that trains are the ticket to economic efficiency and are investing in their future.

In order to revive the freight rail lines which city officials have said "languished because of railroad bankruptcies, litigation, changing routes, deteriorating infrastructure and other problems," a great deal of time, effort and money has been pumped into expanding freight rail infrastructure. The city has "spent more than $115 million to help expand infrastructure along the south Brooklyn waterfront since 2009, including laying fresh tracks and renovating a marine terminal that was once a hub for cocoa imports and manufactured goods. They spent another $80 million to restore an abandoned freight rail line on Staten Island's west shore in 2007, and most recently, they announced last month a planned $10 million upgrade of freight rail operations at Hunts Point in the Bronx," notes Hu.

The project has received both positive and negative feedback from the public. Resistance continues from civic groups, with complaints from those living in close proximity to the rail lines that the trains will produce noise and fumes. But others see the rail revival as a giant leap towards reducing congestion and pollution. The project has, "won praise from some transportation advocates and residents who see rail as an alternative to the fleets of trucks congesting roadways and spewing fumes into surrounding communities. 'We're in support of it,' said Monxo Lopez, a member of South Bronx Unite, which has cited truck traffic in opposing the move of the online grocer FreshDirect to the Bronx. 'But it has to be tied up with concrete traffic reductions and community involvement.'"

City officials also claim that rail benefits the local economy, in that "it gives local companies an option for transporting goods that could be significantly cheaper over long distances than using trucks."

Thursday, July 19, 2012 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Black hearse seen from behind driving on multilane road.

The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle

Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.

45 minutes ago - Momentum Magazine

Row of double-headed street lights against orange sunset sky.

How Smart Street Lights Can Help Cities Achieve Sustainability Goals

Switching to energy-efficient LEDs and using tech to program when and how street lighting operates can save cities millions in electricity expenses and bring down carbon emissions.

1 hour ago - Cities Today

Small boat stranded on cracked dry earth in Lake Mead area during a drought.

NOAA: Southwest ‘Megadrought’ to Persist

Roughly 40 percent of the 48 lower U.S. states are currently in some state of ‘abnormally dry conditions.’

2 hours ago - Inside Climate News