West New Brighton station

West New Brighton, also referred to as West Brighton, is a station on the abandoned North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway. It had two side platforms and two tracks. It was located at-grade in the West New Brighton section of Staten Island, north of Richmond Terrace between North Burgher Avenue and Broadway. The station site is 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the Saint George terminus.[3] No trace of the station exists today.[1][2]

West New Brighton
Former Staten Island Railway station
Near the former station
General information
LocationWest New Brighton, Staten Island
Coordinates40.6415°N 74.1173°W / 40.6415; -74.1173 (West New Brighton station)
Line(s)North Shore Branch
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
History
OpenedFebruary 23, 1886 (1886-02-23)
ClosedMarch 31, 1953 (1953-03-31)
Previous namesWest Brighton − Broadway[1][2]
Former services
Preceding station Staten Island Railway Following station
Port Richmond
toward Port Ivory
 North Shore Branch Livingston
toward St. George

History

The station opened on February 23, 1886.[4] Constructed of wood, it had two high-level side platforms designed with Victorian features. A stationhouse and overpass were located in the center of the station, with the stationhouse sitting on the southern (eastbound) platform.[5] West of the station, the line crossed an eight-foot high suspension bridge over Bodine Creek towards Port Richmond. The low clearance of the bridge attracted some individuals to fish and crab from the trestle, leading to several accidents.[6][7] The low bridge was replaced with a concrete trestle between 1935 and 1937, ending just west of West Brighton station.[2][4][5][8] The station closed on March 31, 1953, along with the rest of the North Shore branch as well as the South Beach branch.[4][5]

West New Brighton is one of the stations to be returned to operation under the proposals for reactivation of the North Shore branch for rapid transit, light rail, or bus rapid transit service.[1][2] Though New York City owns the right-of-way of the line at the former station site,[2] its location on developed property has made it difficult to restore service on the North Shore Branch line. The Arlington bound tracks of the right-of-way have been removed entirely and the Saint George bound tracks were left in place after freight operations ceased in the late 80's and were filled in with wood planks by the property owner and paved over for truck use at the dockyard location, although they have started to become visible through wear and tear of the paved roadway along the site Kill Van Kull.[1][2][9]

References
  1. "North Shore Alternatives Analysis: Rail Alignment Drawings Arlington-St. George" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  2. "NYCT NORTH SHORE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS: Alternatives Analysis Report" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. August 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  3. Office of Diane J. Savino (2013). "State Senator Diane J. Savino's 2013 Staten Island Railway Rider Report" (PDF). nysenate.gov. New York State Senate. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  4. Leigh, Irvin; Matus, Paul (January 2002). "State Island Rapid Transit: The Essential History". thethirdrail.net. The Third Rail Online. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  5. Pitanza, Marc (2015). Staten Island Rapid Transit Images of Rail. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-2338-9.
  6. "Road Asks Bridge Permit: Wants to Replace Suspension Span at Port Richmond" (PDF). The New York Times. August 23, 1933. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  7. "Boy Fatally Hurt By Train: Struck While Crabbing From Trestle at Creek Near Port Richmond" (PDF). The New York Times. July 10, 1922. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  8. "Staten Island Opens Mile-Long Viaduct: Thirty-four Grade Crossings Are Eliminated" (PDF). The New York Times. February 26, 1937. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  9. Minn, Michael (December 18, 2009). "History and Future of the North Shore Rail Line on Staten Island" (PDF). michaelminn.net. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
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