129th Street station

Former Manhattan Railway elevated station (closed 1940) July 2019 IRT 129th St. Second Avenue LineThird Avenue LineWillis Avenue Branch Former Manhattan Railway elevated station Interborough Rapid Transit CompanyCity of New York (after 1940) 4 island platforms 9 129th Street between Second and Third AvenuesNew York, New YorkThrough Trains To Tremont: The New Elevated Station Platforms at 129th Street Are Opened to Traffic https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1898/08/15/102493839.pdf October 23, 2016 The New York Times August 15, 1898 40 48 21 N 73 55 59 W inline,title Elevated December 30, 1878 June 11, 1940 (2nd Ave.)July 1, 1950 (3rd Ave.) Former services IRT Second Avenue Express 133rd Street 86th Street Third Avenue Local-Express 133rd Street 106th Street Second Avenue Local 125th Street Third Avenue Local 125th Street Willis Avenue Shuttle Willis Avenue The 129th Street station was a transfer station on the IRT Third Avenue Line in Manhattan, New York City, shared by elevated trains of both the Third Avenue Line and IRT Second Avenue Line. The next stop to the north was 133rd Street for the main line and Willis Avenue for the Willis Avenue spur, both of which were across a swing bridge above the Harlem River in the Bronx. The next stop to the south was 125th Street−Third Avenue for Third Avenue Line trains and 125th Street−Second Avenue for Second Avenue Line trains. Station layout thumb|left|A diagram of the 129th Street station (top right) and the approaches to the Harlem River bridge, with the flyover express tracks shown in dotted lines. The station was located between Second and Third Avenues, oriented west-to-east above and on the south side of 129th Street. The station was double-decked, with four island platforms for passengers and numerous tracks. The northernmost platform was used by shuttle service via the Willis Avenue Spur to Willis Avenue station, connecting to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The next platform south was for through-service from the Third Avenue Line to and from the Bronx. The southern two island platforms were used for terminating trains, specifically those of the Second Avenue Line and some local Third Avenue trains. The Second Avenue Line fed into the southernmost platform, while the Third Avenue Line fed into both terminal platforms. All four platforms featured shelters.Kahn Alan Paul The Tracks of New York Number 3: Manhattan and Bronx Elevated Railroads 1920 1973 Seymour Durst, Electric Railroaders' Association https://archive.org/details/tracksofnewyork03kahn October 23, 2016The East Side-Bronx Transportation Question of New York City–II., Proposed Remedies Street Railway Journal January 5, 1907 29 1 8–13 https://books.google.com/books?id=RahPAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA11 December 10, 2016 McGraw Publishing CompanyWon't Abandon Commuters: New Haven Road Not Planning to Discontinue Its Suburban Service https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/03/21/100526748.pdf October 23, 2016 The New York Times March 21, 1912 The platforms were connected by a covered bridge. A bi-directional flyover express track from the Third Avenue El bypassed the station. Adjacent to the south of the station was a storage yard, extending south to 128th Street.Razing of 'El' Yards For Scrap Is Urged: Moses Asks ODT to Take Steps to Free Discarded Cars-12,000 Tons Available https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1942/09/25/88504136.pdf October 23, 2016 The New York Times September 25, 1942 An additional side platform was located at the north end of the yard, used only by employees. North of the station, Third Avenue, Willis Avenue, and Second Avenue trains (the latter of which came from 125th Street and bypassed 129th Street) would use the bi-level swing bridge at the north end of Second Avenue, crossing the Harlem River towards the Bronx.http://www.stationreporter.net/3avl.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20100609061601/http://www.stationreporter.net/3avl.htm dead 2010-06-09 3rd Av Local 2010-06-09 2016-10-30 The exit to the station was located at Third Avenue and East 129th Street. The station also served as the terminal for numerous streetcar routes from the Bronx. History The station originally opened on December 30, 1878, as part of the extension of the Third Avenue Line north of 67th Street.Fading 'El' Station Is Closing Tonight: 129th St. Stop on 3d Ave. Line to Be Razed for Bus Garage and Other Improvements https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/06/30/91107107.pdf October 23, 2016 The New York Times June 30, 1950Rapid Transit to Harlem https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1878/12/31/81740252.pdf The New York Times Company 8 December 31, 1878 February 21, 2009 The station was originally a two-track island platform terminal located above Third Avenue.Rush Hour at the Northern Terminal of the East Side "Rapid Transit" Lines; Harlem Bridge A Human Niagara http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252014%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Herald%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Herald%25201897%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Herald%25201897%2520a%2520-%25203741.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2Fa8f8e2b800acf7e25cd3ee5208732c70#page=1 October 25, 2016 New York Herald Fultonhistory.com November 21, 1897 3 It served as the original terminal for the line, until it was extended across the Harlem River to the Bronx on May 17, 1886.Chiasson George From Recognition To Dominance: The New York Connecting Railroad (Bridging the Bay and Connecting the Pieces) New York Division Bulletin April 2016 59 4 3–5 https://issuu.com/erausa/docs/2016-04-bulletin/4 October 23, 2016 Electric Railroaders' AssociationJust across the River, Opening of a Short Length of Sub-Urban Rapid Transit Railroad https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1886/05/18/103111645.pdf The New York Times Company 2 May 18, 1886 February 19, 2009 On November 25, 1886, the station gained a connection to the Willis Avenue Spur which took commuters to a terminal station in the Bronx that served commuters using the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and later to the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway interurban lines.Stan Fischler Stan Fischler The Subway: A Trip Through Time on New York's Rapid Transit H&M Productions Flushing, NY 1997 1-882608-19-4 245–249 This added a second platform oriented west-to-east for Willis Avenue trains, which was connected to the Third Avenue El platform. The Willis Avenue shuttle ended service on December 18, 1887, but was restored on July 19, 1891. On August 1, 1891, the New Haven began running rapid transit cars from 129th via the Willis Spur and the New York and Harlem Railroad (today's Harlem Line). On August 15, 1898, a new and enlarged 129th Street station was opened between Second and Third Avenue. The 129th Street Yard was also opened at this time. Both the yard and station were constructed from 1886 to 1898. The original station was abandoned and eventually razed. Around 1907, the IRT planned to add a bi-directional express track to both the Second and Third Avenue lines, and build a new double-decked bridge with four tracks over the Harlem River. This was carried out during the Dual Contracts in the 1910s, adding 129th Street station's flyover express track. Express service began on January 17, 1916.Interborough Rapid Transit How a Twenty Million Dollar Railroad Was Built in Mid-Air: Third Tracking the New York 'L' https://archive.org/stream/howtwentymillion00inte#page/n0/mode/2up 1917 August 9, 2016 All service via the Willis Avenue Spur ended on April 14, 1924, when a pedestrian bridge was opened between the Willis Avenue and 133rd Street stations.Westchester Road to Open New Harlem River Station http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252024%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Telegram%2520and%2520Evening%2520Mail%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Telegram%2520and%2520Evening%2520Mail%25201924%2520Apr-May%2FNew%2520York%2520NY%2520Telegram%2520and%2520Evening%2520Mail%25201924%2520Apr-May%2520-%25200170.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2Fa25640e9d96e2ea7551ed9e9740df6a0#page=1 October 25, 2016 New York Telegram and Evening Mail Fultonhistory.com April 7, 1924 4 The opening of the lines of the New York City Subway, particularly the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, in the early 20th century led to declining ridership on the elevated lines. The Els were also scapegoated for blight and urban ills in the surrounding neighborhoods.Sparberg Andrew J. From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA https://books.google.com/books?id=oktGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA111 October 1, 2014 Fordham University Press 978-0-8232-6190-1 The 129th Street station in particular had low ridership, due to its proximity to the busy 125th Street station. It was also criticized for its uninspired design compared to the other stations on the lines. Following unification of the transit system under the city's Board of Transportation, the Second Avenue Line stopped serving the station on June 11, 1940, when it was closed north of 57th Street.The New York Times https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A14FF345D10728DDDAB0994DE405B8088F1D3 Two 'El' Lines End Transit Service June 12, 1940 27Manhattan East Side Transit Alternatives (MESA): Major Investment Study/Draft Environmental Impact Statement, August 1999 https://books.google.com/books?id=SiM3AQAAMAAJ&q=63rd+street Metropolitan Transportation Authority, United States Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration July 11, 2016 August 1999 With reduced service and low ridership, the 129th Street station was closed prematurely on July 1, 1950. Passengers were redirected to the 125th Street station, while express trains between Manhattan and the Bronx bypassed the station. The rest of the line south of 149th Street in the Bronx closed on May 12, 1955.NYCTA Notice of Third Avenue Rail Closure for May 12, 1955 The site became part of Harlem River Park. References 30em http://www.nycsubway.org/lines/3rdave-el.html 3rd Avenue El nycsubway.org 2009-01-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20090127041419/http://nycsubway.org/lines/3rdave-el.html January 27, 2009 live Further reading Terminal and Coaling Station of the Second and Third Avenue, New York, Elevated Railways https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/ERJ/srj-street-railway-journal/1894-srj-volume-10-no-02-february.pdf 9 November 2025 Street Railway Journal X 2 Street Railway Publishing Company February 1894 82–86 Category:IRT Second Avenue Line stations Category:IRT Third Avenue Line stations Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1878 Category:1878 establishments in New York (state) Category:1955 disestablishments in New York (state) Category:Former elevated and subway stations in Manhattan Category:East Harlem Category:Railway stations in the United States closed in 1955