Greetings from Steven A. Lynch, President
New York & Western Railroad...

Welcome to the New York & Western Railroad. Founded in 1951 as a Class 1 subsidiary bridge route for traffic linking the New England and Mid-Atlantic States, it is  "...The Tri-State Gateway"

Founded on the need to move freight traffic cost effectively around the New York City corridor, NY&W provides the link long sought around Manhattan Island and its associated delays, tariffs, and clearance requirements.

Regards,

Steven A. Lynch
President CEO - NY&W Railroad 

Historical Background of the New York & Western Railroad

After World War II, the Port of  NY Authority proposed this route, forming a belt line around the NY-NJ area. As all the required trackage already existed, the capitol outlay for startup was minimal. The increased usage of the automobile, spearheaded by the powerful and influential Robert Moses and the strong motor vehicle lobby, however, proved to be a major obstacle to its formation.

Declining revenues on the part of NH and PRR, along with the LIRR's evolution into the busiest passenger line in the nation breathed life into the NY&W creation on December 31, 1951.

Early in the Spring of 1951, the LIRR/PRR sold off the freight only Bay Ridge Branch, as well as the 65th Street yard in Bay Ridge. These operations where from Fresh Pond Junction, Queens through Brooklyn to the Bay Ridge Terminal and Brooklyn Car Floats. Old rival NYC, always seeking alternate routing, purchased the newly formed bridge route and in typical Central style, made it a subsidiary: NY&W  -  The New York & Western.

During this time, the NYC also purchased/acquired rights over SIRT (Staten Island Rapid Transit) to the Mid-Altantic area with the CNJ and B&O/C&O at Cranford Junction, NJ.                         

In addition, the track from Fresh Pond Junction northbound owned by the NY Connecting Railroad (NYCRR), a joint operation of the PRR and the NH, was acquired late in the Fall of 1951. This includes the famous Hell Gate Bridge leading into the large facility at Oak Point were the NY&W interchanges with NYNH&H. NY&W utilizes and pools motive power with the New York Central at nearby Port Morris, Bronx, NY. 

Finally, in the late 1950's the NY&W leased for 99 years the trackage rights and use of all facilities from the now defunct Rahway Valley Railroad interchanging at Cranford Junction, NJ and Summit, NJ with the DL&W. The merger provides NY&W customers with access to the Summit, NJ interchange and the DL&W's rich mix of eastbound freight destined for NY and New England. 

Presently, the NY&W handles well in excess of 150,000 car loads annually. Future plans call for a Federal Transportation Project (FTP) connection utilizing either a bridge or tunnel at the Veranzano Narrows, between Bayridge and Staten Island, or by tunnel between Bayridge and Greenville, NJ. This would provide a competitive run through service without the requirement for car float operations.

This bridge route, the long sought after detour around New York City and the elimination of the Selkirk crossing for cross Hudson traffic by the New York Central, is the basis for the railroad's slogan "... The TriState Gateway"