Metro North-Hudson Line train viewed from the Bear Mountain Bridge. Photo by Richard Panse, October 2010.

Station By Station

Starting at 125th Street on the Metro-North Grand Central/Park Avenue Tunnel line, and having left the Metro-North Harlem Line and Metro-North New Haven Line lines behind, the first station after departing 125th St. is the newest, Yankees-E. 153rd Street. There are four tracks and two island platforms located in a cut under the Major Deegan Expressway. The entrance is located to the southwest of the "old" Yankee Stadium and is reached via a 40 step climb to the upper mezzanine and then down 44 steps to the platform. Tracks 1 and 2 serve northbound trains and tracks 4 and 6 serve southbound trains (there are no tracks labeled 3 or 5). The Yankees-E.153rd station opened on May 23, 2009 with service from all three Metro North lines serving a Yankees home game that afternoon. Trains from the Harlem and New Haven lines use a connecting track at MO interlocking, formerly not used for passenger service. On opening day, numerous Metro North personnel were there, proudly showing off the first station built by Metro North (as opposed to its predecessor operating companies)0 within the New York City limits. The first train from the New Haven line arrived with M-2 8713 in the lead. Metro North proudly announced that history was made- this train was the first New Haven train ever to run on the Hudson Line..

Continuing our ride northward the next stop is Morris Heights, which has one island platform between two of the three tracks. The outside track bypasses the station. The station is near grade and has the exit going up to the street.

The next two stations are University Heights and Marble Hill, both resembling Morris Heights. University Heights has a narrow island platform and is located in an earthen open cut. Entrance is from 207th Street and is located across from the 207th Street subway yards. There is no station house. At Marble Hill, the exit is at the south end via a small footbridge to the street. This stations is nestled neatly between the Henry Hudson bridge to the west and the Broadway bridge to the east. It's a short walk from Marble Hill to the IRT Broadway Line station at 225th Street.

Next up is Spuyten Duyvil, which has three tracks, with a side platform adjacent to the easternmost track and an island platform in between the two westernmost tracks. The exit is via footbridge at the north end. This station is directly beneath the Henry Hudson Bridge. A view to the west of here shows the swing bridge used by Amtrak Albany services. Just north of Spuyten Duyvil station is the junction with Amtrak's tracks from Penn Station.

Between here and Yonkers, the tracks hug the Hudson River's left bank extremely tightly. Occasionally there are places that indicate that piers or other structures had formerly been located between the tracks and the river but these are long gone and the river has encroached closer and closer to the tracks in certain places.

Riverdale, the next station, has two wall platforms and four tracks, the center tracks being "express tracks" for non-stop and Amtrak trains. There is a crossover. A non-electrified track is located to the west of the Manhattan-bound platform, which is occasionally still used by freight traffic and work trains.

Ludlow is next and resembles Riverdale with the exception of an extended low platform at the north end.

Yonkers is next, a four track, two island platform station. Exit is via stairs down to the street at both north and south end of the platform. Nearby here is the Kawasaki assembly plant currently tasked with delivering various models of NYC subway cars.

Glenwood follows with three tracks and two wall platforms. There is a crossover. Greystone, a scenic gem, follows, also three tracks and two wall platforms and a crossover. Hastings-on-Hudson is next and resembles Greystone. Dobbs Ferry is next and with the exception of a station house on the west side resembles the previous two stations. Ardsley-on-Hudson follows. There is no station house and this station resembles Greystone station.

Irvington follows, with three tracks, two wall platforms and a crossover. There is an old low platform to the north of the existing high platform. Tarrytown station follows with one island platform serving tracks 2 and 4 on the east and a side platform serving track 1 on the west. The line narrows down to two tracks, and Philipse Manor is next, with two tracks, one island platform and single exit and crossover.

The line reverts to four tracks and two wall platforms (center tracks being "express" and we arrive at Scarborough, another scenic gem. The next station, Ossining, is nearby the infamous Sing Sing State Prison-- we are truly "up the river!" Ossining station has four tracks, two island platforms and a crossover. Guard towers overlook the tracks. Stone walls topped with razor wire line the right-of-way.

Croton Harmon is next, and is the end of the electrified portion of the line. This station has eight tracks and four, with multiple exits and crossovers between the platforms. North of this station is the Croton-Harmon Shops, Metro-North's primary shops and servicing location. Passing the yard, the tracks combine back down to three.

An abandoned station is next: Crugers, which was a low platform local station with only a bus-type shelter marking its location. Next up is Cortlandt, built to replace Crugers and the next station, Montrose. Cortlandt has three tracks and one island platform serving the easternmost two tracks, the westernmost track being a bypass track. All that remains of Montrose station is piers, torn down after having been replaced by Cortlandt.

Peekskill is next, three tracks and one island servicing the westernmost two tracks (here, the easternmost track bypasses the station). North of the current station you can see two old low platforms and the old station. Manitou is next and with very short platforms will be missed if you blink. The station has two low platforms of the bus-shelter variety.

Garrison is next, with two tracks and two wall platforms with a crossover. Across the Hudson River, we can easily see West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. An older station is north of the current station; the old station house on the west side of the tracks is now a theater.

Cold Spring is next, with two wall platforms, two tracks and a crossover. The old station is to the north of the current station and features two low platforms. Breakneck Ridge is next; another very short low platform station with two tracks. All there is to the station is a small wooden step up! Beacon is next, which has three tracks, one island platform (between the easternmost two tracks) and one wall platform with the track on the east side. New Hamburg is next, two tracks, two wall platforms with a crossover.

We arrive at Poughkeepsie, the end of the Metro-North Hudson Line, but a through station for Amtrak. This is a major facility that is undergoing full restoration. At present, the platform arrangement is as follows, from west to east: Low wall platform for track 5, track 3 shares an island platform with track 1, and finally track 2, served by a wall platform. Crossovers connect all tracks. I did not find any evidence of track 4. Amtrak trains continue north of this station; Metro-North extension plans have been dropped due to public opposition.

Photo Gallery

Five Random Images
Image 76800 (200k, 1044x788) Photo by: Jorge Catayi Location: MNRR Croton-Harmon Shops/Yard	Image 85915 (195k, 1044x788) Photo by: Paul Pesante Location: MNRR Croton-Harmon Shops/Yard	Image 87542 (199k, 1044x788) Photo by: Paul Pesante Location: Mott Haven Junction	Image 96761 (187k, 1044x788) Photo by: Paul Pesante Location: High Bridge	Image 108770 (324k, 1024x683) Collection of: David Pirmann Location: Spuyten Duyvil