Hudson Line

Starting at 125th Street on the Park Avenue Viaduct, and having left the Harlem and New Haven lines behind, we continue our ride northward and arrive at the first stop, Morris Heights (photos), 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 (photos) and Marble Hill (photos), 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 (photos), 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 (photos), 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 (photos) is next and resembles Riverdale with the exception of an extended low platform at the north end.

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

Irvington (photos) 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 (photos) 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 (photos) 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 (photos), another scenic gem. The next station, Ossining (photos), 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 (photos) 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 a yard and maintenance facility, Metro-North's primary shops and servicing location. Passing the yard, the tracks combine back down to three.

An abandoned station is next: Crugers (photos), which was a low platform local station with only a bus-type shelter marking its location. Next up is Cortlandt (photos), 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 (photos) 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 (photos) 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 (photos) 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 (photos) 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 (photos) is next; another very short low platform station with two tracks. All there is to the station is a small wooden step up! Beacon (photos) 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 (photos) is next, two tracks, two wall platforms with a crossover.

We arrive at Poughkeepsie (photos), 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.

Photos by Location