Avoid Freight Track Crossings on the Interborough Express Line
By John B. Pegram[1]
The MTA plans to place the Interborough Express (IBX) Tracks on north and west side of the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch. Freight trains serving customers on that side of the branch would have to cross the IBX tracks, obstructing IBX trains, unless steps are taken to avoid such obstructions. I suggest closing most sidings that might obstruct the IBX line and possibly assisting the few customers there to relocate.
Freight Customers
The New York & Atlantic Railroad (NY&A) serves freight customers on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), including those on the Bay Ridge Branch. Service to those customers is only about 5% of NY&A’s business. (CSX, which operates freight service on its Fremont Secondary, which is the northern end of the proposed IBX right-of-way, does not serve any customers along that line. CSX connects with the NY&A at Fresh Pond, on the east side of the proposed IBX tracks.)
The appendices to the MTA’s IBX reports[2] list NY&A customers on the Bay Ridge Branch at the locations indicated on the map below:[3]
Only five of the customers are on the north or west side of the right-of-way, where freight trains on a siding might obstruct the IBX tracks. I will discuss each of them below, from south to north.
Glenwood Mason Supply
The Glenwood Mason Supply siding is located on the north side of the proposed IBX track location,[4] as shown in the aerial view below:[5]
The siding appears to be at a storage yard, which is about four blocks from Glenwood Mason Supply’s main store location. The siding is on the north side of the proposed IBX tracks, therefore, freight trains serving the siding would block the IBX line. The principal products delivered there appear to be concrete blocks. Only two revenue carloads were reported in 2019, the most recent year for which I have information.[6] That number of carloads does not appear to justify trackwork and signals that would be necessary to provide freight rail service at this location.
Manhattan Beer (inactive)
The Manhattan Beer siding is located on the north side of the proposed IBX track location;[7] however, the MTA reports list it as inactive.[8] The tracks have been disconnected from the Bay Ridge Branch, with no connecting switch, as shown in the 2024 aerial view below. This siding should not be reactivated.
NYC Transit Authority (Linden Shop)
NYC Transit Authority’s Linden Shop is a track shop, where track switches and other components are assembled. It has track connections to the NYC Transit New Lots (3) and Canarsie (L) lines, and the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch.[9] Although the Linden Shop is on the north side of the Bay Ridge Branch, the NYC Transit connections to it would not be an obstacle to IBX operations, because they are elevated above that line, as shown in the aerial view below.
However, Linden Shops receives materials from the NY&A over the Bay Ridge Branch. In 2019, the NY&A handled 62 revenue carloads for NYC Transit, presumably most of which were for Linden Shop.[10] Because such deliveries will require freight trains on the Bay Ridge Branch to cross the IBX tracks, it will be necessary to schedule such deliveries to avoid interference with IBX trains.
Gershow Recycling
The metal recycling center of Gershow Recycling Corporation occupies most of two blocks on the west side of the Bay Ridge Branch, just north of the proposed IBX station and existing NYC Transit (“L” line) stations at Sutter Avenue. A switch under the Glenmore Avenue bridge connects to a 700-foot-long siding[11] on the west side of the Bay Ridge Branch right-of-way. See the railcars on that siding in the aerial views below:[12]
Gershow has been the most active customer on the Bay Ridge Branch, handling 1,400 revenue carloads in 2019.[13] On the one hand, Gershow has the greatest need for freight train access. On the other hand, access to the Gershow siding has the greatest potential for obstruction of IBX trains. Another consideration is whether this is the best location for a recycling operation.
The MTA and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) should consider assisting this company in relocating, rather than providing freight tracks crossing the IBX line to a siding at the present location.
CBS Foods
The CBS Food Products siding is located on the west side of the Bay Ridge Branch, about one block south of the NYC Transit Wilson Avenue (“L” line) station.[14] The company produces cooking oil for the food service industry. In 2019, 137 revenue carloads were reported there.[15]
The MTA and the NYCEDC should consider assisting this company in relocating on the south or east side of the Bay Ridge Branch, to avoid freight trains obstructing the IBX line to access the present CBS Food Products location.
Conclusion
Sidings on the north an d west sides of the NY&A Bay Ridge Branch should be avoided, both to avoid interference with IBX train operations and to avoid the costs of constructing necessary switches and signaling.
As usual, a PDF copy of this article is attached.
This article expresses the personal views of the author and does not express the views of his employer, or any client or organization. The author has degrees in law and physics, and has taken several engineering courses. After five years of work as an engineer, he has practiced law primarily in the field of patents for over 50 years, dealing with a wide variety of technologies. He is a life-long railfan and user of public transportation in the United States, Europe and Japan.
[1] © John Pegram, 2024.
[2] MTA, Interborough Express Planning & Environmental Linkages Study (Jan. 2023) (PEL Report), with most appendices, is available from the MTA here; MTA, Interborough Express – Feasibility Study and Alternatives Analysis – Interim Report (Jan. 2022) (Interim Report) with most appendices, is available for download here.
[3] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 19/46 [64/1150]. (Citations in the form [xx/1150] refer to pages of the PDF copy of the report linked in note 2 above).
[4] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 19/46 [64/1150] & Appendix 1.16, [1104/1150].
[5] All aerial views in this article are from Google Maps, with labels and other material added by the author in some cases.
[6] Interim Report, Appendix 1.3, p. 21 [187/1041].
[7] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 19/46 [64/1150] & Appendix 1.16 [1106/1150].
[8] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 19/46 [64/1150].
[9] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 19/46 [64/1150] & Appendix 1.16, [1108-1109/1150].
[10] Interim Report, Appendix 1.3, p. 21 [187/1041].
[11] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 20/46 [65/1150] & Appendix 1.16 [1110-1111/1150].
[12] PEL Report, Appendix 1.14 [1011/1150]
[13] Interim Report, Appendix 1.3, p. 21 [187/1041].
[14] PEL Report, Appendix 1.1, p. 20/46 [65/1150] & Appendix 1.16 [1112/1150].
[15] Interim Report, Appendix 1.3, p. 21 [187/1041].