Earlier this month, we wrote about the semi-abandoned East New York freight tunnel, a popular backdrop for television and films. Our source, who came across the rail line by poring over old maps, has recently shared more images from his exploration there. The tunnel, built in 1918, has four tracks but only one is active today – “a short haul freight run from Fresh Pond yard (to the north) running down to Bay Ridge.”
While the tunnel was built for freight, part of a route by the Pennsylvania railroad to connect New Jersey to the northeast going from Bay Ridge to New England, there was also passenger train activity and a station here. Today, this is evidenced by an abandoned platform that once was part of the New York and Manhattan Beach railway, a line that went from Long Island City and Bay Ridge to the luxury resorts on Manhattan Beach.
The rail line first became active in 1877 and closed in 1924, about six years after the opening of the East New York freight tunnel. As Joseph Brennan of Abandoned Stations reports, “The stairway was closed up but the platform was left. The former northbound passenger track was lifted in 1939, and its tunnel was sealed at the inner end of the station platform.”
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
