The Port Jervis Line
W E S T.. O F.. H U D S O N

THE PORT JERVIS LINE IS PART OF METRO-NORTH'S WEST OF HUDSON SERVICES. Metro-North provides service from Hoboken, New Jersey to Port Jervis, New York through a contract with New Jersey Transit. The distance from Hoboken to Port Jervis is 95 miles, making it the longest of all the MN lines. It is 29 miles from Hoboken to the New York border in Suffern.

...The trip from Hoboken to Port Jervis travels over a combination of former Erie and Lackawana lines. After departing the former DL&W Hoboken Terminal, you will go through a tunnel that will bring you to the New Jersey meadowlands. The tracks pass just south of the New Jersey Meadowlands sports complex, then diverge into the Main and Bergen County Lines of New Jersey Transit. The lines run parallel and come together again just south of Ridgewood in Bergen County.

...As you cross the border to New York State the first station stop is Suffern. The five tracks of Suffern Yard serve NJT trains. Conrail operates the Hillburn Yard which is right next to Suffern Yard. Hillburn Yard also has 5 tracks. NJT and Conrail share a new crew facility located at the yard throat. A spur heads east from here, parallel to route 59. This was once the main line of the Erie Railroad. The tracks went from Suffern to Piermont on the Hudson. At Piermont, passengers took steam ships to Manhattan, or a ferry to Dobbs Ferry. 

...It was the dream of Erie President Daniel Drew to build a bridge over the Hudson River that would give him direct access to New York City. Now these tracks only go east to Tallman. Norfolk Southern runs a freight over this line to serve two customers about once a week. In a recent development, the governor of New York has proposed building a new Tappan Zee Bridge with two sets of railroad tracks. Perhaps Drew's vision will become reality in a decade or two, and give the residents of Rockland, Orange and Ulster Counties a fast ride to Westchester and Manhattan.

...Getting back to the Port Jervis Line, you will head north from Suffern through Sloatsburg and Tuxedo to Harriman, where a large park-and-ride facility is located just off the New York State Thruway and Route 17. At Harriman Junction you will continue to head north, contrary to the original western route of the old Erie. This track was known as the Graham Line. It was constructed by the Erie for several purposes. It connected with the New Haven Railroad at Campbell Hall, and the New York Central via a branch that extended east to Newburg on the Hudson River. It also avoided running through the middle of the city of Middletown, NY. Most of the original main line between Middletown and Harriman has been removed, but you can see the old roadbed as you travel along route 17M.

...As you head north from Harriman, the next station is Salisbury Mills-Cornwall. Just south of this station is the high Moodna Viaduct. Jeff Sumberg was able to capture the C&O 614 steam engine as it crossed this bridge in October of 1996.  

...From Salisbury Mills-Cornwall, you will head west through Campbell Hall and Middletown to Otisville and the Otisville tunnel. Jeff Sumberg has a picture of the C&O steam engine here also. From Otisville, you will head southwest to Port Jervis and the passenger terminus. The tracks continue west to Buffalo, and are known as the "Southern Tier". These tracks are now operated by Norfolk Southern.

| Home |